§ 73. Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs upon what grounds the United Kingdom's representative in the Security Council abstained-from voting in support of the resolution which called upon the parties to the fighting in Indonesia to cease hostilities and to settle their dispute by arbitration or other peaceful means.
§ Mr. BevinI would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in the Debate on the Adjournment on 4th August by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary in reply to a similar question raised by the hon. Member for Reading (Mr. Mikardo) in the course of the Debate.
§ Mr. YoungerCan my right hon. Friend say how he reconciles the attitude of the United Kingdom representative on the legal question of the Security Council's right to intervene, with the statement of the Under-Secretary of State that our aims are to get effective Security Council action to stop hostilities immediately? Will he, in any event, assure us that the Government welcome the resolution?
§ Mr. BevinCertainly, when matters are referred to the Security Council I am anxious that the Security Council will adopt a judicial view of what comes within their power, and what does not come with their power. Although it may be unpopular to take a difficult line, in view of our responsibilities to so many 1470 territories in the world, I feel I must take precautions to see that in a slipshod manner the Security Council shall not go outside its proper jurisdiction.