§ Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has now received a report from the Allied Control Commission in Berlin on the 182W reply from the Soviet Government to the request that British search teams be permitted to enter the Soviet zone in Germany, for the purpose of searching for the 150 British prisoners of war who are still unaccounted for; and, if so, what is the nature of the report.
Mr. Noel-BakerYes, Sir. The report states that the Soviet authorities had previously refused the request that British search parties should enter the Soviet zone, on the grounds, among others, that the Soviet authorities were themselves carrying out a search; that there were very few British prisoners in their zone; and that all British graves were being carefully registered. On receipt of this communication, the British member of the Allied Control Commission wrote again to his Soviet colleague, asking that facilities on a reciprocal basis, should be granted. To this letter no answer has yet been received.