§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Defence why he refused to allow Count Nicholai Tolstoy, author of "The Victims of Yalta", to examine the Allied Headquarters File 383.7–14.1; whether this was because the file has been destroyed; in this event why he advised the American Government to prevent Count Tolstoy from examining their copy of the file; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MulleyThe United States Government normally consult us about the release of shared files, such as those of Allied Headquarters. At the time of Count Tolstoy's request in 1974 our copy of file 383.7–14.1 was no longer extant; it had earlier been destroyed on the ground that it contributed information concerning only administrative details of the repatriation, together with lists of individuals. Since, however, the information regarding the identity of individual repatriated persons was personally sensitive, and since the records in question were at that time still covered by the 30-year rule, the United States Government were asked not to release their copy.
Last year, at the request of the United States Government, we agreed that Volume 1 of their file could be released provided that information identifying individual repatriated persons, and persons considered for repatriation, was deleted. Count Tolstoy was informed of this in December 1977. We have since heard that the United States Government intend to release Volumes 2 and 3 on the same basis.