asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has recently received on the health of Rudolf Hess; and what further efforts Her Majesty's Government have made to obtain Soviet agreement to his release from Spandau.

For a man of 75 years of age Hess's general state of health remains good. I regret to say that a further approach which we made to the Soviet Government in the early summer with a view to securing the release of Hess has met with an unfavourable reply.

Are not the arrangements over Spandau such that it is within the power of the Western Powers to bring this imprisonment to an end? How long will they accept the Soviet veto?

There is a four-Power agreement. We must abide by this and bring whatever pressure we can to bear on them to be humanitarian to the man in question.

Would the hon. Gentleman not agree that to continue to prolong such pointless cruelty only reflects on those who are a party to it? I was subjected to German hospitality during the war and I did not enjoy it. Is it not fair, therefore, to ask the hon. Gentleman to do his best here to end this simply disgraceful state of affairs?

I sympathise with the sentiments expressed. This man, I believe, should be released. There is cruel and inhuman treatment going on at this very moment. We are doing what we can, but we need to take the other three Powers with us.