HC Deb 30 January 1961 vol 633 c565
4. Mr. Callaghan

asked the Lord Privy Seal how the United Kingdom delegate to the United Nations voted on the section of the resolution deprecatingapartheidin South-West Africa, which was approved by 90 votes to nil with three abstentions.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. D. Ormsby Gore)

In the vote to which the hon. Member refers, the United Kingdom delegate abstained.

Mr. Callaghan

Is there no explanation of the Government being once again one of the three nations which abstained, especially as the Government on 15th December accepted a Motion moved by myself agreeing to take action in the United Nations about the attitude of the South African Government? Is not this in line with what the Government are now doing about the landing of ratings at Gibraltar? How do the Government expect to command any respect in the country if every time they have the chance to stand up for decency they turn tail and run away?

Mr. Ormsby Gore

If the hon. Member will read the resolution and the explanations of vote on the resolution, he will understand the matter very much better. I can assure him that nobody at the United Nations accepted his view that by abstaining on this resolution we were in any way encouraging the policy of apartheid.

Mr. Callaghan

Is it not the case that 90 nations voted on this resolution and we were in company with France and Portugal as the only countries which abstained? Is it not a contemptible attitude for the Government to take?

Mr. Ormsby Gore

I do not think that it is at all contemptible if we are in the right, and I believe that on this occasion we were in the right. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] Because the resolution dealt with a matter which, as the hon. Gentleman knows very well, had already been referred to the International Court by two African countries.