§ 46. Mr. Shortasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will now take the initiative through the United Nations Organisation, or otherwise, to find a solution to the Arab refugee problem.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreAs the hon. Member knows, this is a problem principally for the United Nations. Her Majesty's Government will, of course, continue to press and work for any solution which offers hope of general acceptance within the United Nations. In this context we are awaiting proposals by the Secretary-General of the United Nations which he has been asked to put forward following the adoption of an Assembly resolution of 10th December last.
§ Mr. ShortDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that as this is International Refugee Year, and as there has recently been a slight relaxation in the Israeli attitude to the refugee problem, it may well be the moment to take the initiative in this matter? Does he not think it would be far more useful and a more moral thing to do to regain our loss of prestige in the Middle East than to send arms to Iraq?
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreI think the last part of the supplementary question is totally irrelevant in this context. Of course, we are all anxious to settle this very tragic problem of the Arab refugees. I have told the hon. Member that the Secretary-General of the United Nations has been studying the problem of what can be done about the Arab refugees; he is about to issue a report. I think we had better await that report.