HC Deb 07 November 1955 vol 545 cc1456-7
9. Mr. Donnelly

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement regarding the consultations that he has had with the United States Secretary of State regarding the admission of China to the Security Council of the United Nations.

Mr. H. Macmillan

China is already a member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council. [Laughter.] It is just as well to make it clear that that is so. I assume, however, that the hon. Member is referring to the question of Chinese representation which my right hon. Friend dealt with fully in his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) and others on 31st October.

Mr. Donnelly

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Minister of State last week told us absolutely nothing and that he himself today has simply added nothing to nothing? Is he aware that that can be defended only as a definition of Her Majesty's Government's policy? Can he give the House an assurance that he will raise this matter at the next meeting of the United Nations Assembly before it can become an issue in American internal politics?

Mr. Macmillan

Yes, Sir, but of course the hon. Gentleman knows that this matter is settled as far as this Assembly is concerned and can come up only at next year's session.

Mr. Donnelly

It can come up in January.

Mr. S. Silverman

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how long in his opinion this nonsense can be allowed to go on, whereby a man who is not in China, who has not been in China for years and who commands no allegiance in China, is still accepted in the United Nations as representing 600 million people who have repudiated him?

Mr. Macmillan

This, again, is a decision of the United Nations Assembly.

Mr. Healey

Would the Foreign Secretary not agree that the United Nations Assembly has agreed to drop this matter only for this year, during the session, and that there is nothing to prevent it from being raised this session after 31st December?

Mr. Macmillan

I think that for practical purposes it has been agreed as settled for this year. It will become a practical question again at the first meeting of next year's Assembly.

30. Mr. Warbey

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British delegation to the United Nations General Assembly opposed the inclusion in the agenda for the current session of the question of the representation of the Chinese People's Republic.

Mr. Turton

I have nothing to add to the full explanation which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State gave the House on 31st October.

Mr. Warbey

In the event of the session of the General Assembly being prolonged into the New Year, will the Government undertake to look again at this matter and take different action from that which they took last month?

Mr. Turton

That seems to me to be a hypothetical question.