§ 38. Mr. Russellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the approximate annual cost of carrying out 24 the work of the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations; and what is the total cost incurred up to date in sending visiting missions to Trust Territories.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Ian Harvey)The approximate annual cost of carrying out the work of the Trusteeship Council is $633,000. As for the second part of the Question, the total cost to date of sending eleven United Nations visiting missions to Trust Territories has been $518,672. As the details of this amount are lengthy, I will, with permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. RussellDoes my hon. Friend think that the expenditure is justified in view of the results of the missions?
§ Mr. HarveyYes, because it is the Government's policy to co-operate with the United Nations in the working of the international trusteeship scheme.
§ Following are the details:
| $ | |
| 1947 visiting mission to Western Samoa | 42,267 |
| 1948 visiting mission to East Africa | 47,840 |
| 1949 visiting mission to West Africa | 47,185 |
| 1950 visiting mission to Pacific | 53,051 |
| 1951 visiting mission to East Africa | 41,512 |
| 1952 visiting mission to West Africa | 53,208 |
| 1953 visiting mission to Pacific | 53,274 |
| 1954 visiting mission to East Africa | 50,110 |
| 1955 visiting mission to Cameroons | 34,987 |
| 1955 special visiting mission to Togoland | 36,797 |
| 1956 visiting mission to Pacific | 58,441 |
| $518,672 |
§ 43. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British delegation on the Fourth Committee of the United Nations voted against the resolution that the respective Governments administering Trusteeship Territories should report to the Trusteeship Council in March giving fixed dates for the attainment of independence by the British and French Cameroons, French Togoland, Tanganyika and Ruanda-Urundi.
§ Mr. Ian HarveyI have nothing to add to the replies given on 6th March to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) and by my right 25 hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies to my hon. Friend the Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell).
§ Mr. RankinIs the hon. Gentleman aware that that was a very unhelpful answer? Is he now prepared to disregard the Charter, in which one of the basic principles is that under the system of international trusteeship we are pledged to lead these Trust Territories to independence and to fix a date when it will be attained? Is there any departure from that principle?
§ Mr. HarveyThere is no question of departing from anything. Leadership includes responsible guidance, and the laying down of a timetable has no bearing on that whatsoever.
§ Mr. BraineWould my hon. Friend not agree that resolutions of the kind referred to in the Question are harmful, though easy to pass, and that while, no doubt, they mean very little in New York, they are extremely embarrassing to the Administration of Tanganyika, and will he give an assurance that no such timetable will be agreed to unless the real interests of all three races in Tanganyika are consulted?
§ Mr. HarveyI think my hon. Friend has covered the point exactly. Those are considerations to be remembered.
§ Mr. RankinDoes the supplementary question asked by the hon. Member for Essex. South-East (Mr. Braine) indicate the real reason why the delegation voted against the resolution?
§ Mr. HarveyI have already answered that.
§ Mr. RankinNo, the hon. Gentleman has not.