Oral Answers to Questions — Germany – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 10 Rhagfyr 1947.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
12:00,
10 Rhagfyr 1947
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the charge brought against Maria Marynowska, an employee of the British Embassy in Warsaw; and if he will publish as a white paper the conclusions arrived at by the official of the British Embassy who was present as an observer at the trial.
Mr. McNeil:
Mrs. Marynowska was charged, together with the other accused, with acting, in the period from the spring of 1946 to January, 1947, in a way which had as its object the overthrow of the Polish Government, and the specific accusations alleged are that Mrs. Marynowska arranged a meeting between underground leaders and members of His Majesty's Embassy, and also passed information from them to the Embassy. My right hon. Friend will bear in mind the suggestion made in the second part of the Question.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
Will not the right hon. Gentleman agree, in regard to this and other trials, whatever the verdict, that while the satellite countries of Soviet Russia are not in conformity with the British system of law, he should do all he can to uphold the rights of those accused in these trials?
Mr. McNeil:
The Government are represented at the trial, and we will see that all legitimate protection to servants of the Government is afforded to this woman. I should, perhaps, say that no one expects a similarity of the law as between country and country, but what we are concerned about is to see that justice, according to the law of the country, is discharged.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper