§ 4.25 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to make a Statement on Rhodesia which has just been made by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in another place. I am following the words of the Prime Minister:
"As the Government have repeatedly made clear over the past five months, anyone in Rhodesia is free to approach the Governor or the British representatives in Salisbury with proposals as to the basis on which a solution of the problem can be reached. As the result of a recent report from the Governor, informal talks between officials have been arranged to examine whether such a basis exists.
"Sir, the House will wish to know the sequence of events. I received a report from the Governor last week, at a time when, as it happened, my Private Secretary, Mr. Oliver Wright, had just left by air for Pretoria to assist Her Majesty's Ambassador in his talks with the South African Government. He was instructed to leave the aircraft at Salisbury for discussions with the Governor before going on to Pretoria.
"As a result of his report to me on his talks with the Governor, he was instructed to return to Salisbury on Friday last, April 22. The Governor then arranged a meeting between Mr. Wright, Mr. Hennings, 167 Her Majesty's Government's representative in Salisbury, and Mr. Smith.
"A further talk has been held leading to agreed arrangements for the informal talks which will now proceed. They are informal, directed to see whether a basis for negotiation genuinely exists; and they are without commitment on either side. In view of the importance of these talks the House will not expect me to say anything more which could in any way make them more difficult. The House will understand why, in view of the highly delicate situation, I could not say anything in last Thursday's debate."
The Prime Minister then goes on to refer to a debate taking place in another place.
"With regard to the debate due to take place this afternoon at the suggestion of the Opposition, honourable and right honourable Members, naturally, will say exactly what they wish to say on the Rhodesian question past, present and future. However, I have in the circumstances asked my Front Bench colleagues to keep their own remarks to the absolute minimum necessary to reply to points raised and to avoid anything which might prejudice the prospects of a settlement acceptable to this House."
My Lords, that concludes the Statement of the Prime Minister.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, nobody in the House would, of course, wish to say anything which would make the Government's task any more difficult in the negotiations that lie ahead, least of all noble Lords who sit on these Benches, since we have been pressing for some little time for something of the sort which has been announced this afternoon. I think everybody in the House will greatly welcome the announcement that exploratory talks will take place. May I ask the Leader of the House—though I do not press this, and if he does not wish to answer the question I have no wish to embarrass him—whether he can tell me who is to be in charge of the talks? Is it Mr. Oliver Wright? And if the exploratory talks prove successful, are the talks which then follow to be conducted on the same basis and in Salisbury?
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, I appreciate the whole attitude of the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, which of course is what I entirely expected of him. I am afraid I cannot say more than I have said on the topics which he has just raised.
LORD REAMy Lords, may I say from these Benches that we propose to take the advice offered by the Prime Minister, at least for a short time, and not open our mouths.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I wish only to welcome the Statement which has been made and which is what many of us have been hoping for for a long time. I fully recognise that these talks are informal and without commitment. We can only hope that they will lead to fruitful results.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Marquess also.