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Mr. Pickthorn
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Austrian employees in British military establishments in Vienna have been subjected to examination by Soviet police; how long this practice has persisted; what is its purpose; and what action is being taken by the British authorities.
Mr. Mayhew
During 1946 and 1947 official complaints have been made on two occasions by the British authorities to the Soviet authorities at Vienna with regard to reports of the interrogation of Austrians in British employment. In one case the employee had disappeared. Reports have been received relating to a few similar cases, but evidence is not available either to provide comprehensive figures or accurately to assess the purpose of the reported interrogation.