HL Deb 16 January 1974 vol 348 cc952-3

2.48 p.m.

LORD JANNER

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 what steps are being, and have been, taken to ensure that reparations shall be paid by the German Democratic Republic to the victims of Nazi persecution for the material losses which they sustained in East Germany.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government proposed to the Government of the German Democratic Republic in August that there should be a preliminary round of talks on the whole range of claims questions in the near future. We now expect to hold these talks in April.

LORD JANNER

My Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for her reply, may I ask her whether she does not agree with me that this should be one of the important topics to be discussed, not only at that conference but also with the E.E.C., as so many of their nationals are involved, and with the Americans, in view of the fact that it is really a scandalous thing that people living in East Germany, and the East German Government, are benefiting from the horrifying events that took place when the Nazis were in power, and that they themselves were involved in the whole of the thing? Will the noble Baroness please emphasise this particular point in the negotiations?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have been pressing for these talks since August, as I explained; but our responsibility is naturally primarily to our own nationals, and our recently appointed Ambassador has been instructed to pursue this matter.

LORD SUDELEY

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether the Question tabled by the noble Lord really is any business at all of Her Majesty's Government?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

Yes, my Lords, it is.

LORD JANNER

My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Baroness. I should have thought it was perfectly obvious that it is the business of any civilised Government in any part of the world. I should further like to ask the noble Baroness: will she realise, please, that it is not merely a question of our own nationals but that the E.E.C. is involved, and that we are part and parcel of the E.E.C.? Certainly we are part and parcel of the whole civilised community of the world, and this is a very serious thing from the point of view of the civilised community of the world.

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I quite recognise the noble Lord's concern, but I think it would be wise that we should have bilateral talks in the first place.