§ 3.5 p.m.
§ LORD BIRDWOODMy 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 have any information concerning a report that recently 150 young persons were executed in Hungary as alleged "counterrevolutionaries".]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)My Lords, as your Lordships will appreciate, the conditions prevailing in Hungary make it extremely difficult to obtain any accurate information about reported acts of repression by the Hungarian authorities. Her Majesty's Government have noted this report with concern, but they are not in a position either to confirm or to deny it.
§ LORD BIRDWOODMy Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for his Answer, and I realise the great difficulty which the Government have in discovering the truth. I wonder whether the noble Marquess would permit me to ask this further question. If there is no known improvement in the situation, will the Government consider drawing the attention of those concerned to the fact that such a situation, where the appointed representative of the United Nations is not permitted to enter Hungary, is hardly compatible with peaceful co-existence?
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I must say that if this report were true, it would be very disturbing. But is it not the fact that the Hungarian authorities have issued a most specific and point-blank denial of this? What are our relations with Hungary at the present moment from the point of view of ascertaining the facts? 746 Are they diplomatically represented here, and are we diplomatically represented there? Are we unable to obtain the facts?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I think it would be helpful if I referred to the report of Sir Leslie Munro. I quote his own words. He says:
It is for the Hungarian authorities to allow the true facts to be known, and to afford facilities for their assertions to be verified by giving their assent to the visit to Budapest of the United Nations Representative"—meaning himself. And that, of course, is the view of Her Majesty's Government.