§ 33. Mr. D. Footasked the Lord Privy Seal whether his Department has received, or asked for, a report from Her Majesty's representatives in Angola or Lisbon regarding the circumstances in which Ernest Charles Brown, a British subject, recently came to be wounded in or near Luanda and regarding the expulsion from Angola of four British newspaper correspondents; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Godber:A communique issued in Luanda on 9th February stated that a person later identified as Mr. Brown had been shot at and wounded after being challenged by an Army officer who saw him in his garden. Her Majesty's Consul has reported on the incident, which is still under investigation by the police, and has visited Mr. Brown in hospital. He will be reporting further as soon as more information is available.
On 10th February, the Governor-General published a statement to the effect that four foreign journalists who sought further information about the Incident were told that this could only be obtained from the police, whereupon they behaved insultingly so that the Governor-General had no option but to order their expulsion. These four journalists, three of whom were British and one South African, were temporary visitors to Luanda. They left for Brazzaville on the morning of 10th February. So far as I know, they expressed no wish to communicate with Her Majesty's Consul before they left nor have 144W they subsequently been in touch with any of Her Majesty's representatives in the area.