§ Dame Irene Wardasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the decision to return to the Federal Government the German Foreign Office documents at present held in this country, if he will give an assurance that so long as the official publication of these documents is continued in this country it will continue to be conducted on the same principles of accuracy and impartiality as has hitherto been the case.
§ Mr. Dodds-ParkerI am glad to give the assurance required. The publication of the German Foreign Office documents was initiated under an Inter-Governmental Agreement which provides that the editors, all of them distinguished historians in whom we have great confidence, should have complete independence in the selection and editing of the documents.
§ Dame Irene Wardasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when microfilms of the principal captured German Admiralty and army documents will be available to historians in this country.
§ Mr. Dodds-ParkerThis question concerns not only Her Majesty's Government but also the United States Government, which is joint custodian of the captured German archives and holds the German Army documents. It is the intention of the two Governments that the principal documents should be microfilmed and136W that microfilms should ultimately be made available to historians. I can however give no assurance about the date by which this process will be completed.