HC Deb 08 November 1976 vol 919 cc95-6W
Sir Bernard Braine

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were made by Her Majesty's Government during the recent visit of the Soviet delegation in- vited to Great Britain as guests of the International Committee of the Labour Party and to their leader, Mr. Boris Ponomarev, in particular, about the continued persecution, including physical beatings, of Soviet Jews whose only crime is to wish to leave the Soviet Union; and how such behaviour accords with the Helsinki Agreement.

Mr. Tomlinson

In separate meetings with Mr. Ponomarev my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend discussed among other matters the need for fulfilment of all the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. In this context both my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend also drew to the attention of Mr. Ponomarev the strong feelings which rightly exist in this country about certain human rights questions.