HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 c387W
Mr. Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will draw the attention of his Soviet counterpart to the Soviet prisoners of conscience listed in early-day motions 1415 and 1416.

Mr. Waldegrave

We regularly make representations to the Soviet authorities on behalf of prisoners of conscience. To maximise the impact of these representations, we have concentrated on those cases which have caused most concern to British public opinion and where the details have been made available to us. Of those listed in the early-day motions whose cases we have raised, two, Vladimir Rusak and Sigitas Tomekvicius have been released. We shall continue to press for the release of the others.