§ 1. Mr. Brockwayasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty for what purpose the naval contingent which has arrived in Adelaide from Great Britain will be used at Maralinga weapons testing ground.
§ The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (Mr. Christopher Soames)The Maralinga range is manned jointly by the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Australia on an inter-Service basis. The share of responsibility allocated to the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy is the operation and maintenance of the power station, water supply and other plant.
§ Mr. BrockwayWhile thanking the hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask whether his attention has been drawn to the Report of a Select Committee of the West Australian Parliament in which it says that, owing to this training ground, the normal way of life of the natives has been interfered with and that a large number of them have been denied their tribal grounds? In view of the service which this training ground gives to the hon. Gentleman's Department, are the Government prepared to make some contribution to the aid of those natives, who are in dire distress?
§ Mr. SoamesAll that has been done so far has, of course, been done with the full knowledge and co-operation of the Australian Government.