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First World War Soldiers (Pardons)

: I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. On the whole, all hon. Members who have been involved in this debate have been sensitive, because that is the feeling among the public. His point about communities' reactions—I may come back to this—is understandable. My sense is that in the aftermath of the second world war certainly those families who had knowledge that their husband, father or grandfather had been executed frequently wanted to keep quiet about it. It was the military equivalent in that period of an unwanted pregnancy. It was something that people felt ashamed of and did not want to talk about. Over the past 15 years, there has been a sustained campaign in this country and in Commonwealth countries for formal pardons for those executed, and since the Government's review of 1998 that campaign has continued. Any belief that the Ministry of Defence had that the review would somehow stop the debate was, as I said at the time, highly unlikely. The purpose of my debate is to enable us to question the Minister about Government policy and whether it has changed, or is likely to change, as a consequence of either new evidence or information, legal proceedings, or sustained lobbying. The interest of parliamentarians in the issue and the emotions that it arouses could be seen last week when there was a question in the other place and, it would be fair to say, their lordships gave the Minister for Defence Procurement a hard time at the Dispatch Box. It applies not only to this House but to the other place. As much as anything else, that question prompted me to apply for this debate.