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S17 itizens. There was the case of Dr. urhop, who wanted to attend a scientific inference on the Continent, and his pass- port was withheld. My main guestion és, vhy were the ports not alerted? =. . Mr, Morrison: That is a perfectly , Offcialn, isoppearance is well known—for the police even to «+ Teave at liberty 2 known criminal against whom they have got complete evidence and against whom they would undoubt- edly secure a conviction. Sometimes the“ ” Police Jeave him at liberty for a time in order 10 find his contacts and to spread ricgitimate point 10 raise. J am inclined ig think they ought , have been. alerted, but, having suid it, I do not know + : cant us | what one would ave done effectively if| _ The first minute that ¥ received on‘this :-- they had becn alerted. There is this to, Matter from the officers of the Depart be taid, of course, that it would have been ' Ment was on 25th May, 1951. Oa the : the net rather wider. That is what hap-J -...- pened in April, 1951, Nanas at very useful to have known immediately if they had gone and by what route. They might have been followed. Therefore, I think that my hon, Friend has raised a fair point of criticism. . sree With regard to the withdrawal of Ee _ ports, 1 do not think that can be done. Of cousse, in war we did all sorts of things Thad a hand in them... =. oe a Mr. H, Macmillan: The law about passports is very complicated. I think it 3s possible to refuse a passport, I do not think it is possible effectively to withdraw a passport. In law the nt, it is quite true, is the property of Her jajesty, and the person who holds the Passport docs so a8 2 kind of tenant, but the only way in which one could effec- tively get a passport back would be by applying to the court, and therefore evidence would be required to prove to the count why the passport ought to be withdrawn, Therefore, it cannot effectively be withdrawn’ except the kind of evidence which would tegarded as taustactory enough to support the bring- ing of acharge ey geet Mr, Morrison: There would have had to be some sort of charge, some sort of A oe ee ee ens evidence given, in which case one is in @ - dilemma. Undoubtedly it was done in war-time. -On the spur of the moment I cannot deal with the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham, was done in war-time, when there used - to be a delightful area of doubt at to who was most responsible for the passport and visa business—the Home Secretary or the Foreign Secretary. We got on as best we could. Nevertheless, there is something in what my hon, Fricnd says, na . {1 is important that the cont should ; be touched and the network of espionage ; Uncovered. I would remind the House that it is not unusual—and 1 think this ' nes - es Peete be ER RES North (Mr. Daines), but undoubtedly it - -beea heard by the disciplin: - must not be forgotten that even then “it ~ same day the Security Services reported fo the Prime Minister as their political chief. On that day I authorised the ques- tioning of Maclean. The Security Services took the view that they must choose the right time for that questioning, for the reasons which J have given, and which ase outlined in paragraph 10 of the White Paper, and to secure further evidence,” ? ~' In the Fight of the Maclean ad Burgess experience, ¥ set up the commitice referred, and 1 was grateful to the mem- bers of that committee for the work they did, though they reported after § had ceased to be Foreign Secretary. They teported to my successor in November, .. - 1951 and, as we have heard, further security checks were recommended, and according to the White Paper they ha been put into effect. ve ee ue Tt bas been asked why Burgess was on Jeave. Burgess was not exactly on leave, He was in substance suspended with a view either to his resignation or dismissal after he had been heard by a disciplinary board. It was during this period that he disappeared. But I will return to the spents of these two gentlemen—if that is the right word—later, 2% f= 0802 =m 1 must say in justice that the case of | Burgess—that és to say, of his uroubles — in Washington—was not raised with me. =: as it was hoped he would resign. ti would have come to me after the disciplinary > board had heard him. J think 1 ought to 4 “ have been told earlier about the troubles ry of Mr. Burgess. tn Washington, and I am © {~*~ inclined to take the view that after he had should have dismissed him. Further, it; would not have prevented him from escaping from this country. .y.pc.52 28 -- > Mr, Daines: Mi i moment ago that he set up a committee . tor : jae - - quiry to which the Foreign Secretary has -~ -- board & fo hon. Friend said a **