Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have made to the Polish Government about their ban on Solidarity in the light of both their freely given promises in the Helsinki Accord and the promises given on their behalf by the Soviet Government at Yalta in 1945.
§ Baroness YoungWe made clear publicly in 1982 that we deplored the action of the Polish authorities in dissolving Solidarity and repressing the legitimate demands of the Polish workers to be allowed to decide for themselves what trade union organisations should represent them. The ban was inconsistent with the spirit of the Helsinki Final Act.
We have not made any recent representations to the Polish Government on this issue, but views will be well known to the Polish authorities.