HC Deb 12 March 1956 vol 550 cc31-5
Mr. Clement Davies (by Private Notice)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any statement to make on the deportation of Archbishop Makarios and three others from Cyprus.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd)

Yes, Sir. The Governor of Cyprus ordered the deportation of Archbishop Makarios, the Bishop of Kyrenia, and two others under Regulation 7 of the Emergency Powers Regulations in Cyprus, and they were deported last Friday. The Governor had reluctantly concluded that the Archbishop, as well as the other three, had such close connections with violence and terrorism that their influence must be removed from the island.

Sir John Harding's decision was taken after full consultation with Her Majesty's Government, and has their entire approval. The Archbishop and the others will shortly arrive in Seychelles, where they will be detained.

Mr. Davies

I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman two supplementary questions. First, does it not appear from one of the captured documents which was published by the Government that the Archbishop was the restraining and moderating influence? Perhaps I may read this quotation to the right hon. Gentleman: Tell…that the leader is unyielding, and that no retreat is possible, not even to the smallest degree, from the proposals of the Archbishop. That is why the leader is in Nicosia now, so as not to allow the Archbishop any retraction whatever. Secondly, if the Government propose to continue negotiations may I ask with whom they propose to negotiate?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

It may well be that there may be more extreme people in Cyprus. It may be that the Archbishop has unleashed forces that he cannot wholly control, but because of his great position he has been acting as a direct incitement to violence and his removal is essential. Her Majesty's Government and the Governor could not agree that he should be allowed to stay on in Cyprus while murders that he could prevent might be committed and his silence interpreted as encouragement by people who have been taught to regard him as their leader, which people would be punished while the great offenders would go free.

Mr. Davies

May I have an answer to my second question?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I beg the right hon. and learned Gentleman's pardon. It is, of course, our hope and belief that when freedom to think and speak for themselves—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—has been, through a restoration of law and order, restored to the people of Cyprus, people who would hesitate to come forward as leaders when they would be branded as traitors would then be prepared to do so.

Mr. Bevan

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell the House when the decision to deport Archbishop Makarios was taken? The initiative, we gather, was taken by the Governor. Was the initiative in the mind of the Government last week, before Friday?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The action was taken by the Governor and Her Majesty's Government acting in full agreement and, at the same time—[HON. MEMBERS: "When?"] I am about to answer that question. I entered my own negotiations with the Archbishop in the same way as the Governor entered his—in the knowledge that there was very strong reason to believe that the Archbishop himself was closely identified with terrorism.

None the less, it seemed to us to be worth while, from the point of view of the ordinary people of Cyprus as well as every other consideration, that we should carry on the negotiations as long as was possible, and I can assure the House that it was my sincere desire that those negotiations should end successfully. When it became quite clear that the negotiations had been fruitless then, naturally, the Governor, with the full support of the Government, has to take every step he thinks necessary for the restoration of law and order.

Mr. Bevan

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the question? When was the decision to deport the Archbishop taken? Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that in his statement to the House on 5th March he reminded hon. Members in all parts of the House that they had for five months exercised commendable restraint in the matter? It was understood there was to be a debate on Wednesday. Does not he think that, to say the least, it is highly undesirable to slam the door before the House of Commons could discuss the matter?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I think the House of Commons would be reasonably dissatisfied with any Government that did not make its position plain before a Parliamentary debate. In the view of Her Majesty's Government, it was now abundantly and distressingly clear—[HON. MEMBERS: "When?"]—that the Archbishop did not intend to come to an agreement with Her Majesty's Government and the decision to take that action was taken at the appropriate moment—[HON. MEMBERS: "When?"]—in the light of all that information.

Mr. Bevan

Why does not the right hon. Gentleman be candid with the House? When was the decision taken to deport the Archbishop? On what day was it taken? Let us know.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I have no intention whatever—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh"]—of giving precise information in that field any more than the Socialist Prime Minister and Socialist Colonial Secretary who carried out the last deportations from Cyprus would have been prepared to do.

Mr. Maclay

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that there are a great many of us who believe that he and the Government have done everything possible to find a solution, and that he has our complete support?

Mr. J. Griffiths

Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to a statement from The Times correspondent in Nicosia, published in The Times of last Saturday, to the effect that the arrest and deportation of the Archbishop and the three others were evidently arranged some days ago and given the name "Operation Airborne"? Was the right hon. Gentleman aware of these arrangements on Monday? If so, why did he not inform the House?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

If that is an idea of how the right hon. Gentleman believes that administration should be carried out, no wonder he is now in opposition.

Mr. Griffiths

Was the decison made when the Secretary of State made a statement to us last Monday?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I had long consultations with the Governor on the need—[HON. MEMBERS: "Answer the question."] It is no good right hon. and hon. Members asking questions if they do not listen to the answers. However loudly they interrupt, it is all being recorded anyhow, and I will go on. I had long consultations with the Governor on any steps which might be necessary if it became clear that the talks had broken down, and this question, like a number of others, figured very much in our conversations.

Mr. Bevan

How can it be any conceivable advantage to people in Cyprus who are acting against the Administration there to inform the House after it has all been done when the decision was taken to deport the Archbishop? That is not a question of security, but merely a question of how far the right hon. Gentleman has been keeping faith with the House.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The right hon. Gentleman would, I think, do well to read again very carefully the answers which I gave in reply to a large number of supplementaries to the statement which I made a week ago today. This is a matter which can be thrashed out at great length in the debate the day after tomorrow; and it seems to me, with respect, much better to do it in that way than by question and answer now.

Captain Waterhouse

Is it not quite obvious that a step of this sort could never be taken if previous notice of the arrest were given? Is it not absolutely clear from the correspondence and statements published by the Governor last week that the Government have exercised the greatest possible patience?

Mr. C. Davies

In view of the urgency and importance of this matter, and of the answers given by the right hon. Gentleman, which show that he has acted on circumstantial evidence, may I ask your permission, Mr. Speaker, to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 (1) for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the deportation of Archbishop Makarios and three others from the Island of Cyprus without trial?

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. C. Davies) asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the deportation of Archbishop Makarios and three other Cypriots from Cyprus without trial. I could not accept such a Motion without transgressing the rule against anticipation. There is a Motion on the Order paper which is to be discussed on Wednesday and a discussion of the matter which the right hon. and learned Gentleman mentions must necessarily anticipate that discussion of Wednesday. I therefore could not accept the right hon. and learned Gentleman's Motion.