§ Mr. Gallacherasked the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered a letter sent to him by the hon. Member for West Fife which makes allegations about interference with a public meeting in Perthshire by Polish soldiers; and if he will make inquiries into these allegations and make a statement.
Mr. ChapmanMy Noble Friend is informed that at the public meeting to which the hon. Member refers, the chairman sold papers printed in Polish which he had received from the Polish Council of Democratic Unity in London. The literature apparently had a disturbing effect on the Polish members of his audience, who later congregated in a narrow side street. A complaint about their behaviour was made to the police, who are continuing inquiries but have so far obtained no evidence to justify criminal proceedings or corroboration of the chairman's allegation that a Polish soldier laid hands on him and tried to pull his literature from him. English-speaking Poles who were present in the vicinity were warned by the police that action would be taken by them if there was any breach of the law. This warning has been repeated by the Polish military authorities to all troops under their command.