§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what categories of persons from East Germany, and coming for what purpose, are fobidden to enter the United Kingdom.]
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, the criteria governing the eligibility of East Germans for temporary travel documents are agreed in NATO and are confidential. Each application is considered on its merits. If there is reason to believe that the applicant is likely to indulge in undesirable political activity during his visit 957 the application would be refused. Examples of such activity would be the intention of the applicant to act on behalf of or to represent the Soviet Zone of Germany as a sovereign or national entity. So also would be any public attempt to make propaganda on behalf of the Soviet Zone regime. The Allied Travel Office would not issue a travel document to an East German if they had reason to suppose that he would engage in such activities.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, is it within the knowledge of the Minister whether there is any confidential arrangement among the nations of the Warsaw Pact governing the criteria which would allow the admission of West Europeans on the other side of the Iron Curtain?
§ LORD WALSTONWhen the noble Lord says "West Europeans" I take it that he means West Europeans and not West Germans? It is not within my knowledge that there is such an agreement.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that it is extremely likely that there might be such agreement; and is not the existence of a confidential international arrangement governing the free movement of human beings around our supposedly free Continent something which would be more appropriate within their treaty organisation than within ours?
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, I am afraid that is getting a little too hypothetical.