§ 13 Mr. Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) in what parts of Cyprus there are local Turkish majorities; and to what extent it is his policy that these parts should go to Turkey under any future partition;
(2) what proportion of the island of Cyprus is to be allotted to the 18 per cent. Turkish minority there in the event of partition of the island;
(3) what his policy is regarding an exchange of population between Greeks and Turks following any scheme of partition of the island of Cyprus.
§ 31. Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give favourable consideration to the establishment of an Anglo-Cypriot-Turkish Commission, to be led by Archbishop Makarios, to study at first hand the working of partition elsewhere, including Ireland, and to report.
§ Mr. MaclayIn the absence in Africa of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, I have been asked to reply to a certain number of colonial Questions.
§ Mr. HamiltonThat does not make Scotland a Colony.
§ Mr. MaclayThat remark might apply the other way round.
The Turkish population is intermixed with the Greek population throughout the island, although there are scattered villages and parts of towns where the Turkish population predominates. As regards future policy on partition, I cannot usefully add to what my right hon. Friend said in his statement on Cyprus on 19th December.
§ Mr. ParkerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that when the partition of Ireland and of India and Pakistan took place there were substantial areas in both countries where the minority were in a 185 local majority? Surely the position is altogether different in Cyprus. Does not that mean that the idea of partition is quite outside the scope of a sensible solution of this problem?
§ Mr. MaclayI really feel that I cannot add to what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies said in his statement on this matter on 19th December.
§ 40. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement indicating the progress made to date by the Government towards securing agreement upon the proposed Constitution for the Government of Cyprus; and what steps the Government is taking to seek agreement upon it.
§ Mr. MaclayMy right hon. Friend's statement in the House on 19th December set out the main steps which had been and were being taken to secure agreement on the constitutional proposals.
The Turkish Government have since then indicated that they regard Lord Radcliffe's proposals, taken together with my right hon. Friend's statement, as a reasonable basis for a final solution of the Cyprus problem, and a Turkish legal expert is coming to London shortly to discuss points of detail. The immediate reaction of the Greek Government was unfavourable, despite my right hon. Friend's offer to discuss with them any points of difficulty. There has already been much discussion of the proposals in Cyprus and elsewhere and more is being encouraged. World opinion in general has welcomed them.
§ Mr. HughesWhile the Government are inviting a delegation of Turks to come to London for discussions, why do they not invite a delegation of representative Cypriots, including Archbishop Makarios, so that reason can be substituted for violence in this wretched matter?
§ Mr. MaclayThe Government have not invited a delegation of Turks to come here in the terms which the hon. and learned Member has used. What happened was that a Turkish legal expert working on the Constitution and reporting to his own Government asked whether he might come to discuss and obtain certain points of elucidation.
§ Mr. CallaghanOn this very important matter, as we are all concerned on all sides to try to get negotiations going on the basis of the Radcliffe proposals, can the Secretary of State for Scotland answer two questions? Can we take it that the proposals of Lord Radcliffe are still negotiable in the sense that they are not complete and final, and if the Government are not prepared to negotiate with Archbishop Makarios, can the right hon. Gentleman say what responsible leaders there are in Cyprus who are enabled or empowered to speak on behalf of the people there?
§ Mr. MaclayTo answer the first part of the question, I would say that my right hon. Friend made it clear that while the balance of the proposals was obviously delicate, he would be prepared to consider any comments made by those most particularly concerned. But I repeat that the balance is delicate, as I think the hon. Member knows, and it would be difficult to do anything substantial, but any wise proposals would be carefully considered. As for the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question, my reply would be that in the interests of getting a settlement of this tragic situation, one does not want, across the Floor of the House, to attempt in question and answer to analyse what people in the island one hopes to find to negotiate.
§ Mr. HaleHas any suggestion been received from Archbishop Makarios that the new Government should dissociate themselves from the use of violence in the Eastern Mediterranean?
§ Mr. MaclayI am quite willing to answer, but I think that that was an entirely irrelevant and absurd remark.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsI want to ask two questions. Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the Government do not exclude the possibility of discussions with Archbishop Makarios to reach a settlement, and will the Government keep an open mind about partition and not regard it as essential for agreement?
§ Mr. MaclayWhat I have said in my earlier answers has already answered the right hon. Gentleman's questions.
§ Mr. HughesOn a point of order. In view of the way in which this has got mixed up with Scotland, and the unsatisfactory Answers to the last two Questions, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter in another way at the earliest opportunity.