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fe TNO Se tate emg EN Fe eee oor = pe i eeted are (Mr. Crossman} - footers had been scen not to have been covering ‘up matiers, then the McCarthy hysteria might have been prevented beforehand. Therefore, it seems to me absolutely essential in this Burgess and Maclean case that any suspicion of covering up, any suspicion, not of these two, but of other people, being “ covered who were responsible for the fact that they could do what they did must be removed. Frankly, neither the White Paper nor the Foreign Secretary's speech has wholly removed those suspicions from my mind. —- I was very glad that the Foreign Secre- tary said that we have to remember that security does not apply only to @ couple of thousand high officials in Whitehall who: are dealing with secret documents, It applies to the tens of thousands of industrial workers, especially those in air- craft factories. They are subject to security. too. . anand 7” - When } was. stoning to my right bon. Friend's description of his perturbation of mind when considering the case of Maclean, to his description of what was the real agony of making up his mind whether the man should be kept on, and when I considered all the trouble that was taken for Maclean, I could not help fecollecting an incident brovght to my attention last August of a constituent of mine, an aircraft factory worker in Coventry. He was sent for by the per- sonnel manager and was told that he was @ security risk because he wag a member of the branch of the Communist Party. He was dismissed from the factory overnight. There was no court of appeal for him. There were not “three wise men” to consider his case. ‘There was no sort of protection for him. He was chucked out because of an untrue allegation. . : ¥ do not want to argue the case, because I am dealing with it elsewhere, and I acknowledge that the Minister of Supply has been very helpful, but it made me think, and I made some inquiries. We have to face the fact that security covers ail our aircraft factories and that literally scores of people are now being moved from one position to another, very often without their Knowing why and having their careers blighted by security charges. 1 wonder whether the procedure in other cases is based on as idle gossip as the accusation against my constituent, from which I am trying to liberate him. ncaa an Office 1 NOVEMBER 1955 Offcials—Dleappearanca 153 T say to the Foreign Secretary and 5 the Prime Minister the faintest sm jicion that security regulations are ea” forced ruthlessly on the small fry in th factories but with infinitely greate restraint and conscientiousness the highe : Up a man is—that suspicion is utter’ estructive of democracy in this county" ¥ must say that ¥ wish my constituent hac! received the amount of Ixeoce which wa: accorded to Burgess and Maclean. My* constituent was completely innocent, bu: was thrown out on common gossip. ‘There was not the care taken over hit. that was taken over these two men is highly key positions. The thoroughness and care taken in their cases contrasts with the rough treatment accorded to aa aircraft factory worker who talked one night out of school” i Bob Bice. Therefore, ¥ say that our major pre- occupation must be to see, if we are to have security regulations, as we must— that they are im ‘ Sih the most ruth- s equality. No! tis wrong. They should be imposed with greater severity the higher one goes! Surely those who have official State secrets in their hands, those who have access to secret docu- ments, must accept a severer interpre * fation of security than workers in aircraft factories. If some of them say, “We are . such sensitive souls, aod our talents, though very great, are not the sort of talents which can thrive in a world of red tape security.” then they must be told they must go elsewhere. They must be | told that their genius must be dispeased th. eT TIARA i But although security is essential, we , ought to keep its range as small as Por . sible, and it must be enforced most of all : fn areas like the Foreign Office or the three Services. With that as a background Jet us consider the White Paper on Burgess and Maclean. -1 start with the Tast paragraph of it which tells us why we could not aap ee “ Counter-espionage be success upon the maximum secrecy of its methods 7. 52.6 ferg aye. v7 I had better declare my interest in this subject. During the war I was both a” temporary member of the Foreign Office, and so directly responsible to the preseat Prime Minister. I was also a member of a secret department and at one time see wooGr