HC Deb 24 November 1975 vol 901 cc34-5W
Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which countries, if any, in the Warsaw Pact bloc he has addressed public representations during the last 18 months on the question of sentences, trials, arrests, interrogation and alleged ill-treatment of foreign nationals.

Mr. Hattersley

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, made representations, which were made public at the time, to the German Democratic Republic in September 1974, asking for clemency for Miss Susan Ballantine and Mr. Alan Watson. There have been no other cases in which my right hon. Friend has acted in the manner described by the hon. Member. But on occasion representations and expressions of concern have been made privately to Governments.