HC Deb 20 November 1957 vol 578 cc365-7
9. Mr. Bellenger

asked the Minister of Defence whether, in view of the statement in the despatch of the Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces that the operations in Egypt were prejudiced owing to the limited port facilities in Cyprus, he will make a statement concerning the future of Cyprus as a base for operational activities in the Eastern Mediterranean should events necessitate such action.

Mr. Sandys

Cyprus has no large port, and we have no plans to make one.

Mr. Bellenger

In view of the large amount of money which has been spent in Cyprus in preparing there one of our bases in the Eastern Mediterranean, is the right hon. Gentleman going to say nothing more than the bland statement which he has just made, that Cyprus has been written off as a military base?

Mr. Sandys

I was talking about a harbour. The main military usefulness of Cyprus is not as a naval base or necessarily as a jumping-off ground for military operations.

Mr. Bevan

Has not it been stated over and over again in this House in debates on Cyprus that the reason we could not allow it to be a N.A.T.O. base was that we might want it for ourselves to operate on our own initiative in the Middle East? Now we are told that it is no use either as an air base or as a port.

Mr. Sandys

I do not think the right hon. Gentleman listened to what I said. I did not say anything about an air base. I said that the main military usefulness of Cyprus is not as a naval base or as a jumping-off ground for military operations. By "military" I meant the despatch of land forces from Cyprus. The right hon. Gentleman knows well enough that one does not use harbours to fly off aircraft unless they are seaplanes.

Mr. P. Williams

Does my right hon. Friend's Answer mean that the commitment undertaken earlier this year to invest a certain amount of money in a deep-water port has now been changed altogether? [Laughter.]

Mr. Sandys

Hon. Gentlemen opposite need not laugh about that. The primary purpose of that scheme, which has nothing to do with me, was to provide better civilian harbour facilities for the island and people of Cyprus.

Mr. Strachey

In view of his statement, would the Minister of Defence now state clearly that there is no further requirement for Cyprus as a British army base—a military base—quite apart from whatever requirements there may or may not be for a N.A.T.O. base for air operations of a deterrent character?

Mr. Sandys

I am not going to say that there are no circumstances in which Cyprus might not be used for military purposes or as a base for military purposes. What I am prepared to say is that our prime need in the use of Cyprus as a base is to enable us to have facilities to operate aircraft in support of the Bagdad Pact.

Mr. Bellenger

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.