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otter rare te ae te pnt geet Ram ESN NMR H Privy Councillors, representing both foe the House, and with experience bhich makes them specially qualified in fhese matters --but inquiry there must be. We are up against a new problem in these atiers. The country will not be satis- ed without an inquiry of some sort, Sovering an adequate field, for our coun- ‘ry has @ right to Know that adequate action is being taken arising out of ao sxperience which is disturbing and worry- ng to us all, : . 5.27 pm “ Colunc! Alan Gomme-Duncan (Perth and East Perthshire): The two spceches to which we have listened this afternoon will undoubiedly baye impressed the House. Although we may not agree with everything that has been said, I think it {most desirable that the debate should pen with such thorough speec! one fom each side, Lan: i Tt seems'to me that there are three main Tissues before us. The first 1 do not think Fhas been mentioned so far in Parliament jor in the Press, but it may be a vital {Tink in the whole story. or mystery. What 3 connection is there between Guy Burgess fand Dr. Otto John, the West German security chief, who defected to the Com- munists in 1954? Otto John was chief Iegal adviser to Lufthansa before the war and became a member of the Canaris Group, which plotted the death of Hitler. ‘When that went wrong his brother was z executed by the Gestapo and he escaped { through Spain and came to London about the end of 1944. Jn the last_months of that year he worked for the B.B.C. Later he was employed in the Foreign Office and afterwards by a London law firm. He returned to Germany in 1949 and was appointed president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution— which is a high falutin’ way of saying, the security machine-watching and reporting on neo-Nazi activities. That appoiniment { ' was made with the consent of the British and American Governments... _ Is it a fact—my information is that it is in the B.B.C. offices and, Jater, in the Foreign Office—that there is information to the effect that Otto John was a close associate of Guy Burgess? I hope that my right hon. Friend will answer that, if he can, when he replies. They certain; had all too much in common outside thetr public duties. ~~! . uce ° ce le eh ae ane ite te ,525 Former Foreign Office = NOVEMBER 1955 Q Rbatamat ate opiate Deppearance 15% . As head of the counter-Communist «w+: - intelligence in Bonn, John would have . received information from British and ~~ — United States sources. It is known that he was in touch with a number of what might be called double agents, agents working each way, Did Oito John maine ~ tain his contact with Burgess? If he did, .,,...:.- he could have been very useful indeed to him and Maclean, and possibly also to -. --«--. Mrs. Maclean. I believe that the Governe ~ ment have the information that can’ 77> answer this question, and I hope that if ~~ possible, if security will permit, something may be said on that point, - 2: -+ sik The second vital issue affects the inter- nal administration of the Foreign Office, to which both right hon. Gentlemen who have spoken have already referred in some detail. 1 should like to say straighf- .._ away that I have not the slightest reflece 2 tion to make on any of the right hon. Gentlemen who have held the important — and difficult office of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Io spite of anything —----- - that I may say, I bope that that is fully realised. 5.4 sx 7.47 yea wh : * The Fighting Services have a system of -..-, regular confidential reports on officers, _ They are made annvally—in the Navy. 2... ‘believe, it is sometimes six-monthly— -_- ‘and they give their seniors a clear picture ~~ not only of their ability, but also of their . mora! charagter and bebaviour ; aod : - is very important. Excessive drinking is @ weakness that would be recorded... “ti ‘The Forcign Office, I understand, has @ similar system of reports. 1 asked my right bon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in two ‘Questions the other day if he would place in the Library a copy of these forms,’ which he very kindly did, But I also asked what arrangements exjsted in his Department for the sub- mission of confidential Teports ‘on_ per= sonnel. On behalf of the Foreign Secre- tary. my right’ bon. Frien Under-Secretary replied:. * ~ “The beads of Foreign Service missions ~- abroad and of departments in the Foreign ° ‘Office report regularly on their staffs on printed - forms which vary for each branch of Se + vice... . A report on cach member of the senior branch of the Service is sent in af Teast every two years. For new entrants to the . branch reports are submitted every six months during the period of probation. Repos on ~ all other branches are sent in al least once & Ga sy Report, 26th October, 195: fol $45, 6 35]. .. a ‘ Boe Joint