§ 2.54 p.m.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask another important Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to prevent the proposed limitation of the period in which war criminals can be tried in West Germany.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, responsibility in the Federal Republic of Germany for the prosecution of war crimes and for the question of the application of the Statute of Limitations is a matter for the Government and the courts of the Federal Republic.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer, but is he aware that Herr Schmidt, the head of the German set-up, has himself called 451 upon his neighbours, who include ourselves, to do all possible to stop the Statute coming into force? Does my noble friend agree that the Nazis themselves have utilised Nazi monies in order to protect people and enable them to hide themselves for years, and that as soon as this present prosecution is over, they will come out and increase violence in relation to supporting the neo-Nazi activities?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the second part of my noble friend's supplementary question is of course a comment on the situation, and I doubt whether anyone here would strongly disagree with the merits of what he says. However, with regard to the question he poses, he knows—and I need not assure him—that Her Majesty's Government have consistently supported the view that there should be no time limit on the initiation of legal proceedings or imposition of penalties with respect to war crimes and crimes against humanity. There is no such time limit in the United Kingdom. However, it is the Government's view—properly so—that the whole question of the application of the Statute of Limitations is primarily an internal matter to be determined by individual Governments themselves.