§ 45. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information has been supplied to him in respect of the total number to date of refugees from Hungary and where these are now situated; and if he will propose to the United Nations the establishment of a special commission to deal with the problem of relief, rehabilitation and settlement, with a view to an equitable allocation of fundamental responsibility and, in particular, the easing of the burden now borne by Austria.
§ Mr. Dodds-ParkerAccording to official information, up to the morning of 16th December. 134,077 Hungarian refugees had crossed into Austria and 859 into Yugoslavia. By that date 64,516 Hungarian refugees had left Austria for destinations in Western Europe, Commonwealth countries and the United States.
With regard to the second part of the Question, I consider that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is best qualified to tackle the Hungarian refugee problem from the long-term point of view. Dr. Lindt, who was recently elected by the United Nations General Assembly, enjoys the advice of an Executive Committee on which twenty countries are represented including the United Kingdom. He has an experienced staff and the necessary liaison with the United Nations Secretary-General and with Governments and voluntary societies throughout the world, as well as international bodies such as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration.