§ 3.37 p.m.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I will, with your Lordships' permission, repeat the statement which is being made by the Commonwealth Secretary in another place on Cyprus. The terms are as follows:
§ "I promised to keep the House informed of further developments in Cyprus. In the last few days the situation on the island has been much calmer, though there have continued to be minor incidents. A cease-fire was negotiated at Ktima, which has eased the position there. There is, of course, still widespread tension, particularly in Nicosia.
§ "Early on Friday, the Turkish Government issued a warning that unless the attacks upon the Turkish-Cypriot community ceased, they might have to exercise their right of intervention under the Treaty of Guarantee.
§ "That night, the Security Council, by a unanimous vote, reaffirmed its earlier resolution and once again called upon all concerned to refrain from action which would worsen the situation.
§ "At the same time, the Secretary-General announced that substantial progress had been made in the formation of the international force. 654 Contingents have been promised by four countries. Canada has undertaken to provide about 1,000 men, of which the advance party has already arrived in Cyprus. Sweden has agreed to send one battalion and an armoured car squadron. The Republic of Ireland and Finland have also offered to contribute a battalion each. We are most anxious that everything should be done to hasten the arrival of these contingents, so that the international force may be brought into effective operation at the earliest possible moment.
§ "We warmly welcome this helpful response and are in close touch with the Secretary-General and the other Governments concerned about this matter and about the choice of a mediator to whose early appointment we attach great importance."
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am sure your Lordships' House is very grateful to the Leader of the House for letting us have this statement. It is true that thereby the expert knowledge which is now put over the B.B.C. News—we have had a good deal of it before—has enabled us to make a judgment now on what statement is made; and I think that, however clever the leader of the Turkish nation has been in this matter, the result to date is encouraging. The thing that particularly strikes me is not only the anxiety of Canada to help, but the speed with which they are fulfilling the obligation they have so kindly undertaken. I am not sure from what has been broadcast from time to time whether anything like the same despatch will be present when it comes to the supply of the other contingents. Of course, we are very grateful, too, for the inducement given by the Government to go on paying part of the cost of these other contingents in company with the United States of America.
As the noble Lord says in this statement he has given to us, they are very anxious to speed things up, and it is not that we are trying to be unkind in asking about this speed; it is that we want the House to make it known to all those concerned that we are very anxious, seeing what all our men have gone through out there, that this release should come as early as possible.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl. The Government, of course, share the noble Earl's anxieties about the speed with which this force can be constituted. As I have said, we shall do all we can to speed it up. I would join with him in saying how grateful we are to all four countries for joining in this force, and also in expressing the admiration we all have for the speed with which the Canadians acted.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us what is happening about the military commander in Cyprus? I understand that at the moment the one originally selected is not in Cyprus but on leave.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the United Nations force is not yet constituted, so the British troops are under the command of Major-General Carver, but I understand that General Gyani will be back in Cyprus towards the end of the week, when the United Nations force is expected to be constituted.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, while welcoming the speed with which the United Nations are carrying out this important task, would it come amiss to express gratitude for the exemplary courage and dignity with which the British troops are carrying out their task?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am sure the whole House shares my noble friend's view.