asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the hon. Member for Ipswich may expect a reply to his letter of 25th September regarding the exchange visit of Workers' Leaders between Messrs. Ransomes & Rapier Ltd., of Ipswich and Messrs. Menck & Hambrock of Hamburg.

A reply was sent to my hon. Friend this morning.

is my right hon. Friend aware that I have only just received his reply? Arising out of that reply, is he further aware that this has nothing to do with exchange control payments? The payments at this end will be made in sterling, and the payments to the workers at the other end will be in sterling. It will not cost any dollars. Therefore, what is the difficulty?

I apologise if my hon. Friend has only just received his reply. As to the complexities of the exchange, I shall be glad to discuss with him any scheme he has in mind.

Does the exchange include the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes)? Has the right hon. Gentleman considered the gain to this country of such a transaction?

As my hon. Friend is an engineering worker, he would, of course, qualify.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at what capital value the territory of Silesia has been taken into consideration when assessing the total of reparations to be paid.

As the total of reparations to be paid is not assessed in terms of money, the Question does not arise.

Has my right hon. Friend read Mr. Byrnes' book "Speaking Frankly"? Will he study it, and learn that the rateable value of property in Silesia before the war was assessed at over 11 billion dollars?

I must repeat that the question of reparations is not tied to assessments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the present rate of the Treasury grant made in respect of the European Service of the B.B.C.; and to what extent his Department is responsible for control of the policy of, and expenditure on, this Service.

As the answer is necessarily a long one, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that there is no intention of cutting down the already inadequate Treasury grant? May I have an answer? May I ask the Minister, then, whether His Majesty's Government fully appreciate the immense value of the European Service of the B.B.C.?

I am very glad to answer the second question, because it concerns my Department. We are keenly aware of the work which has been done by this service, and of its importance to the Government and to the country.

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.

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.

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?

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.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) the number of times the British delegation to the United Nations Assembly voted with the United States and the number of times with the U.S.S.R. during the last two years;

(2) how many times the British representative on the Security Council has voted with the U.S.A. in support of or against proposals and how many times with the U.S.S.R. during the last two years.

It would be impossible to give an accurate answer to either of these Questions. In the period to which the honourable Member refers the number of occasions on which the United Nations General Assembly, its Committees and Sub-Committees have voted, must amount to many thousands; and the number of occasions on which the Security Council has voted, to many hundreds. Further, the vast majority of votes by the General Assembly are taken by show of hands, and in these cases no official record is kept of the way in which Delegations voted.

Can we take it from the decisions which have been reached that the right hon. Gentleman has experienced no serious ideological differences in dealing with the representatives of American private enterprise?

I do not think that that is a fair assumption. The hon. Gentleman, of course, will make what inferences he pleases, particularly since there is no evidence on the subject.

Is it the policy of His Majesty's Government to vote in accordance with the merits of the case, or to try to keep the score equal as between the various countries?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that there is evidence in Japan of a movement to re-introduce Emperor worship; and whether he will instruct the British representative on the Far-Eastern Commission to press for immediate action to prohibit activities of this nature.

Since the answer to the first part of the Question is, "No, Sir," the second part would not seem to arise.

Is not my right hon. Friend aware that when Hirohito went to Hiroshima recently he was received with wild acclamation by at least 50,000 Japanese citizens? Is not that a most undesirable development?

I think there is a confusion of thought here. Neither we nor anyone else can prevent subjects paying what tribute they think fitting to their crowned head. It is, however, important that there should be no recurrence of Emperor worship in Japan, and there is an ordinance, a regulation, to take care of that.

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that this can only be handled by long-term education, and that it is no good trying to pass Bills or laws, or enforcing these things on a short-term basis?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what negotiations are taking place with a view to revising the Treaty between Transjordan and the United Kingdom; and whether he will make a statement.

None, Sir.