HC Deb 21 March 1983 vol 39 cc346-7W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the death of Donald Maclean, a former employee of his office and a former British citizen and traitor, he will now publish all the papers and documents in the possession of his Department relevant to this man.

Mr. Hurd

No. The papers in question have been retained by the Departments which hold them in accordance with the general approval granted by the then Lord Chancellor in 1967, under the proviso to secton 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958, whereby Departments may retain sensitive records related to security and intelligence matters. The death of Mr. Maclean does not justify any alteration in that decision.