§ 71. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a further statement on the detention of Mr. Wynne; and what arrangements have been made by the Soviet authorities to enable the representative of Her Majesty's Government to render all appropriate assistance to Mr. Wynne.
§ Mr. HeathHer Majesty's Embassy at Moscow were informed on 27th November by the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in reply to the representations made by my noble Friend on 15th November and by Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires on 21st November, that Mr. Wynne was in the Soviet Union, that investigations were being carried out on his case, and that he had pleaded guilty of espionage against the Soviet Union. It was added that the question of a meeting between Mr. Wynne and a representative of the Embassy could be considered at an appropriate stage of the consideration of his case; and that according to Soviet law an advocate might be provided for Mr. Wynne when the preliminary investigation had been completed.
Her Majesty's Embassy have pressed the Foreign Ministry for further information, particularly about the place where Mr. Wynne is being held, the likely duration of the preliminary investigation, the precise charges, if any, which have been formulated and the date when any trial would take place. They have also asked for clarification of the possibility of visits to Mr. Wynne by an Embassy representative and by relatives and of his entitlement to legal aid and representation.
The Foreign Ministry have not replied to these inquiries apart from saying that they have been passed on to the competent quarter and that visits to Mr. Wynne will not be permitted at this stage.
Her Majesty's Embassy will continue to pursue these inquiries.