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351 Former Ferign Office - (MR. Ievine ng “ ghey at fault, or necessarily ‘that there was as complete a dreakdawn in the intuitive erspicacity and judgment of members of the Service as at first sight appeared, but that we are dealing with the consequence of men in a great Depart- ment feeling that their obligations to each other and to the Department were such that the truth should not be revealed, It is a difficult thing, of course, to suggest what is the proper remedy for that. “ht may well be that in this context the obser- vations of my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs have pare Nicular relevance... ,...- biges + Mr. Nicholson : Would noi tht alterna- Give explanation, and the more reasonable one, be that there was anxiety to secure evidence for a prosecution? Is not that conceivable? -+- -- -~-- . yee. Ce eee f ~ Mr. Irvine: I shoud have thought that that was an unlikely explanation of what occurred. The suggestion that crimes can go on being committed indefinitely because it is thought undesirable to check them for fear that there is insufti- cient evidence is a line of thought, and of inaction, that is full of danger. We are speaking about conjectures bere, and for ty part I do not know any of the concerned, but ¥ should certainly say that it fs very unlikely that the explanation for this incident is to be found in the reluc- tance of persons to take action before there “was sufficient accumulation evidence. Ht may have played a Past, but oes not seem to me to go to the root ‘of the matter, | we whe oe ~ I think that, on the fast analysis, when the matter is traced ‘to its source, probably the real root of the trouble here a kind of inverted virtue on the part of the Department. I think that the sense of foyalty and of keeping together was car- tied to the point where things which should not have been allowed to continue, in the public interest were allowed to con- finue, Jt may well be that the observa. tions of my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling and--Falkirk Burghs are Particularly relevant to this point, and that the mistake—because that is what it is—of too intense a loyatny to a Depart- Ment and Yo one's colleagues in & Department, to the point where it is not + compatible with Soyalty to tbe highest tational interests, can be treated best by expanding the sources of fecruitment into uDM eet 7 NOVEMBER 1955 Offidels—Disappearance 1572 © the Department. -To find the remedy for that is a very difficult task, and for the moment 1 am not able to think of another than the remedy which my bon has sugeested, . - seat - 1 would say,” fa’ conclusion fusther lesson which, I have no doubt, felt in all parts of the House, of all this §s that an incident of this kind must not be allowed to be made the occasion the excuse for any kind of illiberal hunting and pursuit. I am not at that the most valuable outcome Gebate ike this ma insistence by the House as e wh that shall not be. 1 speak as prefers contention in political li Perhaps we are discussing today a theme ~ upon which Members in all parts of the =» Yarge measure Proces: can Wilch-hunting. 7 the ie hee ae rhaps, agree that an example é Provided Bere of bow iyalyamooy L colleagues in a Department beea *. carried fo the point where the national t interest bas been adversely affected, i: there be any substance in that view, t offered to the House only after considera. t tion of all the aspects of this extraordinary + ase, we may be confident that no section ; the community will be quicker to leara the lesson than the Civil Service itself and {- the Foreign Office in particular, : 7.45 pan, TF Pe ei oth 3s Lieut. Colonel J, K. Cordeaux (Notting- ham, Central): The hon. Member for Edge Hill (Mr. A. 3, Irvine) has, ¥ think, exonerated the security services, although possibly he may have been referring to this case . Ido wish ¥ could agree. All of us who have had the honour tw ; serve in any of the security services df this country—and two have already spoken -today—would like to’ take that view. 1 cannot, and it cannot be doing any service, } am sure, in the long rus to the branch of this great Service whose Seputation is at stake in this debate try to minimise what J nets of the matter. ...- be’ regarded. as. same lime, we can, Sees: tah th, kee a et fo feel is the serious- ae lk + * * My “bon.” Friend the for lember for Hexham (Mr. Speir) and the Foreign Sec- fetary both referred to the extreme new difficulties which are now faced by cur Security services thanks to the fact that agents can now often be recruiied not ve Saeacm BRE