HL Deb 17 February 1960 vol 221 cc68-71
VISCOUNT ELIBANK

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can state when the report (in preparation), including the deliberations, of the Mixed Committee set up to consider applications for the disposal of certain assets of Herr Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach under the 1953 Deconcentration Agreement will be available to them; and whether, when it is available to them, they will place copies of it in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)

My Lords, I understand that the Mixed Committee are still considering a report. I think it should have been clear from my answers to the noble Viscount on previous occasions that there is no obligation under the Bonn Settlement Convention for any report to be issued by the Committee. Whether a report from the Committee would include an account of their deliberations is entirely a matter for the Committee to decide. On the second part of the question, as I have previously stated, it is for the four Governments concerned together to decide whether the Committee's report should be published or not.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

My Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for his Answer, but, with great respect, he has not answered the second part of my Question, and that is whether this report will be available to Her Majesty's Government.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, with the greatest possible respect to the noble Viscount, I have answered that question. If the report is received, it will be made available.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

I am sorry if I misunderstood the noble Marquess, and I apologise. Then are we to assume that if this report is available to Her Majesty's Government it still remains for Her Majesty's Government to ask the permission of the Mixed Committee and the other Allied Governments as to whether they may make it available to the British Parliament and nation, so that they shall know why these extensions have been granted?

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, I do not want there to be any misunderstanding about this matter. If it is agreed by the four Governments that the report should be published, it will of course be made available to your Lordships and to everybody else.

LORD HENDERSON

My Lords, are we to understand that the reasons for not giving effect to policy approved by the British Parliament are to be decided by Governments other than the British Government, and that the rights of the British Parliament are to be circumscribed by four Governments? That is what I understand the noble Marquess to say. Cannot we know that when the report is ready it will be made available to the British Parliament and the British people?

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, this Mixed Committee, as I think the noble Lord is well aware, is only concerned with one aspect of this question: that is, the question of an extension, and two extensions have been granted. As I have told your Lordships before, I hope and expect that a report will, in fact, be submitted which will be made available; but there is no question of this Committee overruling anything that has been passed by the British Government—certainly not.

LORD HENDERSON

My Lords, as I understand it, there have been two decisions to defer the policy which has been agreed to by the British Government and the British Parliament; there have been two decisions to defer the implementation of that decision. Now we are told that we cannot have the reasons for the deferment unless other Governments agree. Surely the British Parliament is entitled to know why a policy which it has accepted and agreed to is not being given effect to. We are entitled to know the reasons.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, I appreciate the point the noble Lord is making. As he knows, this Mixed Committee was set up by the four Governments concerned. The Mixed Committee is there for the purpose of deciding whether or not it is reasonable to allow an extension, and that is all. That is the function of this Mixed Committee—nothing beyond that. I hope that is clear.

LORD HENDERSON

May I ask whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to ask the other three Governments that the report shall be made public?

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

No, my Lords.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK

With great respect, and with the permission of the House, may I ask the noble Marquess whether this is not the position? If the reasons why this extension of time has been granted are available to the Government, will not the situation be intolerable and a humiliation to the British Parliament and nation if they are not allowed to see those reasons?

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, is it not a fact that, whatever the views of Her Majesty's Government may be, they have no power whatever to rewrite an international agreement?

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

May we ask what instructions were given by our Government to the British representative on the Committee?

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, none.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

Then he is an independent person who can make a report on policy which is to be secret from the British Parliament?

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

No, my Lords; it is not a report on policy. This Committee has only one function. I want to make that clear. The function of this Committee is to allow or to disallow an extension—nothing more, nothing less.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, would the noble Marquess not submit to his right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary that the attitude revealed by the previous answer but one of the noble Marquess—that they, as a Government, are not going to press at all for the publication of this report to Parliament, is not likely to assist international relationships? What we want is a great and growing co-operation between the free nation of Germany and this country. Instead of promoting that, you are going to raise grave suspicions in the minds of the British public. I beg the Government to reconsider this.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

My Lords, I will certainly take careful note of what the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition has said.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

And the noble Marquess still contends that to give Herr Krupp another year to get on with his munitions work is not a question of policy!