Mr. McNeil: I understand that the immediate ca use of the Crisis in Hungary was the receipt of a Note by the Hungarian Government on 29th May from the Soviet Chairman of the Allied Control Commission refusing a request which had been made by the Prime Minister for the return to the Hungarian authorities of Mr. Kovacs Bela, one-time Secretary-General of the Smallholders Party, who had been arrested by the Soviet authorities for alleged offences against the Soviet forces of occupation.

Mr. A. Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he first received information from our representative in Budapest about the recent political Crisis in Hungary.