To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will accept the recommendation by Sir Thomas Hetherington and Mr. William Chalmers in the war crimes report that, should it be decided to legislate, investigations into those suspected of involvement in Nazi war crimes should commence as soon as possible after the decision to legislate has been taken.

The Government are considering the views expressed in the recent war crimes debates in each House of Parliament, and we shall announce our conclusions shortly. Investigations could begin once it was clear that any proposed legislation had the general support of Parliament.