§ 31. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British representative on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations voted for the admission of Spain to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
§ Mr. NuttingThe object of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 193 Cultural Organisation is to promote international collaboration in the field of education, science and culture. Her Majesty's Government saw no good reason to oppose the admission of Spain to the Organisation and trust that it may be of some benefit to the Spanish people.
§ Mr. DribergIs it the view of Her Majesty's Government that the present Government of Spain can contribute something of value to the political and cultural education of the world?
§ Mr. NuttingWe believe that the way to get the best out of these organisations is to make them as universal and all-embracing as possible.
§ Major BeamishCould political prejudice be carried to further extremes than to oppose the admission of Spain to U.N.E.S.C.O. while at the same time favouring the admission of Communist China which has more than 500,000 men in the field fighting against the United Nations?
§ Mr. NuttingWhile declining the invitation to make this answer rather broader than the Question on the Order Paper, might I inform my hon. and gallant Friend that we have followed the action of the United Nations in this matter? After the reversal in the General Assembly in November, 1950, of the resolution of 1946 against Spain being on these specialised agencies, the Socialist Government voted in favour of Spain's admission to the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. We believe that this admission to U.N.E.S.C.O. follows along those lines.
Mr. McNeilAs the hon. Gentleman has told us that he believes that these organisations will function best with the nearest to universal membership, can the House take it that if China applies for admission she will have the support of Her Majesty's Government?
§ Mr. NuttingThe right hon. Gentleman will not be surprised when I ask him to put that question on the Order Paper.
Mr. McNeilI must press this. May I ask the hon. Gentleman if he has given a flat undertaking to the House, and, in view of that flat undertaking, will Her Majesty's Government support the Government of China if they apply for membership?
§ Mr. NuttingI have said already, and I think I carry the House with me, that the right hon. Gentleman must really put a question of that nature on the Order Paper.