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AN — ~ i 1499 Former Fortign Office {Mr. Macmittan,] - * aa that he is being watched than it is to watch his movements or his contacts io London, - > , Tne tres I should, perhaps, remind the House that in the case of Fuchs the Security Service decided to take exactly the same risk, and they were justified in the result. The object of the watch was to obtain evidence of contact or of something that he did that would be conclusive against Maclean. It was in no sense its purpose we to prevent him leaving the country. i vas is perhaps worth remembering that there Loe is no power to prevent & man against Hy whom po charge can be brought from keaving this country. Whether this gap in our security ought to be closed is an- other question, and 1 will come to it ia a@moment tt te Mr. David Logan (Liverpool, Scot Jand Division): Would the right hon. Gentleman explain how two men in . Fesponsible positions and suilly of an aggravated offence, if proved, got leave of absence at the end of the week, and why both of them, when they were supposed to be guilty of treason, were allowed to leave the country? med é Eo i of is » oF A .*- mer ee, Mr, Macmillan; The first point was, of course, that io have refused week- end leave—which would have been unusual—would have put the man on his ke all the more. And as the object te which would justify a charge, it was very important not to refuse Jeave or any other normal advantage given to the servant; and, as I have tried to explain, there is no power under the law of England to event a man leaving against whom the Erecutive is not prepared to produce 2 charge. Whether there ought to be I will come to in a moment, but that was the Taw as it then stood, and, indeed, as it stands today. jr-rmewe Dot Lada Nevertheless, it seems more than prob- hase that Maclean somehow discovered that he was under observation. How, I do not know—we do not know. We do Bot know for certain. The arrest of Fuchs ;on 2nd February, 1950, may well have I caused Maclean to wonder whether his jee tens jee cen ke activities in America might not eventu- “we may wonder whether this event con- tributed to his breakdowa in Cairo in April, 1950. Assuming he was suffering nce . 7 NOVEMBER 1955 as yi “1500 was to try to catch him in an action | ‘ally be uncovered. Looking back on it,” from a general uneasiness on this score! k: would need only the slightest indication that the circle was narrowing to put : on his guard. He would have been par- ticularly sensitive ¢o any hint, direct or indirect, that he was under investigation. Although, therefore, the circumstances of the disappearance are certainly explaia- ° able in terms of what is called a “tip off," € it is quite possible that Maclean may have; taken flight with Burgess because one or | other of them noticed circumstances, or 8 combination of circumstances—to which they would have been particularly sensi- tive, of course—which may have aroused their suspicions. Mr. R. T, Paget (Northampton): Did H not the withdrawal of the secret doce- | ments give that “tip off,” and in view of | that why have we to assume that there was a third traitor here at all? Mr. MacmMan: 1 am com int. That is another possi am tying to deal with possibilities... 2 22.2.4 Although, as I sa: - and * are explanatory in terms of a “tip , off” 1] are not necessarily the effect :, of that. That is what 1] am trying to 7 However, the possibility of a “tip of” had to be seriously considered and search. - ing and protracted investigations into this 7 possibility have been undertaken, and are proceeding even at the present time, ~ In this connection, the name of one mai been mentioned in the House Commons, but not outside. I feel all hon. Members would expect -me refer to him by name and to explain Position. He is Mr. H. A. R. Philby, who was a temporary First Secretary a! the British Embassy in Washington fr. Goober, 1949, to June, 1951, and hi Deen privy to much of the investigati.n into the Jeakage. Mr. Philby had been = a friend of Burgess from the time when j they were fellow undergraduates at” Trinity College. Cambridge. Burgess had deen accommodated with Philby and his family at the Jatier’s home in Washington from August. 1950, tp April, 1951; and, of course, it will be realised that no time before he fled was Burgess under that Mr. Eo aleeka OS ee en ont ne By ebb ata we sieer, At is now knot . Philby had = ‘Communist associates during and after his university days. In view of the cis: cumstances, be was asked, in July, eed it eit