HC Deb 22 June 1992 vol 210 cc76-7W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent information Her Majesty's Government have received from the authorities of the former Soviet union about British prisoners of war moved to Russia during or at the end of the Korean war.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

None.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now declassify all documents relating to British prisoners of war in Korea.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Most contemporary records dealing with this subject are already open in the Public Record Office. A very small number of files continues to be properly witheld from the public domain under the criteria of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967. The personal service records of all servicemen from this period are retained in the Ministry of Defence. Information from these records is available on request to the serviceman concerned or his proven next of kin.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make representations to the authorities of the former Soviet Union about allowing the Commonwealth War Graves Commission access to the records and sites of camps in Russia where British prisoners of war are believed to have been held.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the graves of British and Commonwealth Service personnel from the first and second World Wars, but not the Korean war. If any definite evidence is received that graves of British service personnel have been found in Russian, appropriate action will be taken.