HC Deb 14 May 1963 vol 677 cc1129-31
Ql. Mr. W. Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of current public feeling, he will consider advising the cancellation or postponement of the proposed visit to Britain of the Greek Royal Family.

Q3. Mr. Rankin

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has had from the Government of Greece about the postponement of the visit to this country of King Paul and Queen Frederika.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)

With permission, I will answer Question No. Q1 and Question No. Q3 together.

The answer is "No, Sir" and "None, Sir", respectively.

I hope very much that this visit will take place as planned. There is a long tradition of friendship between Greece and Britain dating now over 100 years, and cemented by our alliance through two long and terrible wars. It is true that this friendship came under strain at the time of the troubles in Cyprus but these have now happily been settled. The proposed visit will, therefore, mark the restoration to their traditional vigour of the friendly relations between our two countries.

Mr. Hamilton

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that all royal visits, either to or from this country, have a political content, a fact which he emphasised when he recently cancelled a visit to Paris? If this visit is to take place, will the Government at least take the opportunity of impressing upon our guests the very great concern among large numbers of people in this country about the prolonged political incarceration of people who are in prison for political and not for any other kind of offence?

The Prime Minister

As I have said in my Answer, it is hoped that this visit will be of the greatest value to our ancient and traditional friendship with Greece and it is the outward and visible sign of that fact. With regard to the other part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, I hope that nobody will be misled by any misunderstanding of what the two Communist revolutions in Greece meant, both in 1944, when I had personal knowledge of the horrible things done, and in 1949. This campaign of the Communists has been well described as a shocking example of mendacity and hypocrisy.

Mr. Rankin

Does the right hon. Gentleman recollect that in the alliance between Greece and Britain to which he referred each country bound itself to preserve, maintain and extend the principles of democracy within its own territory? Would he not agree that it would be a wonderful occasion if with the arrival of the royal couple in this country the Greek Government were to grant political amnesty to the hundreds of political prisoners now lying in Greek gaols? Could not the right hon. Gentleman in some appropriate way, as he would certainly do, put that point to the proper authorities at the proper time?

The Prime Minister

This is a matter entirely for the Greek Government. We ought to be careful not to regard as political crimes the murder and mutilation which I saw with my own eyes on a terrible scale.

Sir T. Beamish

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the great majority of hon. Members will warmly welcome his reply to these Questions? Would he be kind enough to clear up a small doubt in the minds of some people and say whether when Queen Frederika was here on a private visit she was actually touched on the shoulders during the incident?

The Prime Minister

It is not unnatural that there should be some uncertainty as to precisely what happened in an incident of this kind. Her Majesty's Government have naturally accepted the statement of Queen Frederika. When my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary was explaining to the House on 9th May, on such information as was available to him immediately after the incident, when the Home Office spokesman made his statement, it was then believed that Queen Frederika was not actually touched although inconvenienced and molested. Of course, we must and do accept her view of what happened and I deeply regret this incident.

Mr. Rankin

Would not the Prime Minister agree that in my supplementary question I referred to politcal prisoners and did not in any way include that small section to whom he referred? Will he at least think of trying to act along the lines which I have suggested, and when this royal couple come to the land of political liberty will he at least strike a blow for political freedom?

The Prime Minister

I appreciate any genuine motives of a humanitarian kind, but these are matters for the Greek Government. When their liberty was first recovered and the Germans left Greece, that was the first occasion on which the Communists tried to seize Greece. It was defended by the British Government and British troops and the most terrible things took place, which I saw myself. On the second occasion, in 1949, worse things took place and the Greek people feel that they have defended themselves against a form of Communist aggression of the most terrible kind.