HC Deb 10 December 1964 vol 703 cc1814-6
Q4. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Prime Minister whether he will extend an official invitation to President Tshombe to visit London.

Mr. George Brown

I have been asked to reply.

We have no such intention at the moment, Sir.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Will Her Majesty's Government not be too hesitant about doing the right thing? Do not British lives and the chances of keeping the cold war out of Africa depend upon the making of peace in the Congo? Is it not therefore a British interest to seek to give all the help, whether technical or of other character, which it is possible to give to President Tshombe's efforts?

Mr. Brown

I take account of all that, but my answer to the Question on the Order Paper remains as I gave it.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that he is in consultation with the Prime Minister and that the Prime Minister and the Government are in consultation with our allies on how best we might help Europeans in the Congo should the occasion arise again? That might easily happen.

Mr. Brown

The right hon. Gentleman can not only take it, he knows it.

Mr. Warbey

Will my right hon. Friend undertake to do nothing to facilitate a meeting of the new African Fascist Internationale in London?

Mr. Fell

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer this question? In view of the fact that British lives and the lives of other nationals depend now, since the Belgians left, entirely upon Congolese troops under President Tshombe, did the Government do anything to try to see President Tshombe when he was in Paris recently?

Mr. Brown

That is precisely the kind of question that I find offensive—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—because if hon. and right hon. Members opposite really believe that they are the only people who care—[HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."]—then hon. Members must listen. If they really believe that they are the only people who care for our fellow-citizens in trouble, I find it very arrogant. We, of course, take every step, and I repeat that the right hon. Member for Kinross and West Perthshire (Sir Alec Douglas-Home) knows what we did.

Mr. Fell

On a point of order. It will be in your recollection, Mr. Speaker, that the question I asked was certainly not an arrogant one. Is there no protection against the sort of twisting that is going on from the Deputy Prime Minister?

Mr. Speaker

This is not a matter for me. Do let us make progress. Sir Alec Douglas-Home.

Mr. S. Silverman

On a point of order. Is it possible, or within your province, Mr. Speaker, to explain how any of these supplementary questions arise out of the Question on the Order Paper which has been answered and which asks whether the Prime Minister will extend an official invitation to President Tshombe to visit London?

Mr. Speaker

Following precedent, in the circumstances the questions are within the range of what arises.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

The right hon. Gentleman the Deputy Prime Minister is unnecessarily touchy and noisy today. Is he aware that all I wanted to do was to allow him on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government to assure the House that they were in touch with our allies about the situation which could be extremely dangerous to British citizens? I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will do that.

Mr. Brown

I respond entirely in that case. I misunderstood the terms in which the right hon. Gentleman put his question. As surely the House must assume, and as the right hon. Gentleman knows, we have of course been in touch all the way through and have been influencing what happened all the way through to help our fellow-citizens in this difficult situation.