§ 34. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Governor of Cyprus has now accepted or rejected the offer of E.O.K.A. to suspend terrorist activities.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have nothing to add to the statements which I made to the House on 20th and 28th March.
§ Mr. RobinsonWhy cannot the Colonial Secretary give an unequivocal reply to this quite simple question? Does he not agree that the present half-truths carry extreme dangers and that this hunting by the security forces may well lead to an incident which would start all over again the whole business of violence in Cyprus?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI am certainly aware of the fact that it would be out of the question to ask the Governor of Cyprus or Her Majesty's Government to suspend operations as long as armed men are still at large in Cyprus.
§ Mr. CallaghanWhen will the Colonial Secretary take some political initiative in this matter and discuss with the people of Cyprus what their future is to be? Does he not realise that the longer the present drift goes on the higher the price he will have to pay in the end? Will he not give way to the divisions in the ranks of the Conservative Party that are preventing an honourable settlement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIf the hon. Gentleman reads my statements of the 20th and 28th March, he will see that there has been no lack of initiative by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydSo far as I know, Sir.
§ Mr. CallaghanIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are sated with replies referring us to his statements of the 20th and 28th March? Is it the case that nothing has taken place since that time to implement the promise that the Colonial Secretary gave, that when violence came to an end he would proceed with the discussion of the implementation of self-government with the islanders themselves? When is he going to start that?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Gentleman must not attempt to paraphrase what I said in two lengthy statements on the 20th and 28th March. I cannot add to the answer I then gave, which dealt with all aspects of the problem, internal and international.
§ Mr. RobinsonWill the right hon. Gentleman now say that his reply means that the Governor of Cyprus has rejected the offer of a truce?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere is no offer as such. It would be just as wise for me to regard as an offer the recent pamphlets distributed by P.E.K.A., which is the political wing of E.O.K.A., which could be held to imply that the terrorists might yet demand the lifting of the emergency altogether as their price for the indefinite suspension of operations. It would be just as wise for me to regard that as an offer.