HC Deb 24 November 1964 vol 702 cc1082-3
Q5. Mr. Turton

asked the Prime Minister whether he envisages any conditions additional to the existence of sufficient representative institutions as a prerequisite for the grant of independence to Rhodesia.

The Prime Minister

I have nothing to add to what I told the hon. Member in reply to his supplementary question on 17th November.

Mr. Turton

Can the right hon. Gentleman be more explicit? Does he realise that for 40 years there has been an anxiety among all races in Rhodesia about having the possibility of Whitehall interference and control? Does he realise that his letter, published on 2nd October, to Dr. Mutasa, which was a very racialist letter, saying that independence will not be granted so long as there is control by a white minority Government, has caused very great misunderstanding and indignation in Rhodesia? Will he make it clear that independence will be granted immediately there is a broadly based Government respresentative of all political views in Rhodesia?

The Prime Minister

In my supplementary answer to the right hon. Gentleman last week I said that the basis on which we were working—I had explained this earlier in a debate in the House—was clearly on the lines of the words in the communiqué of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers last July. I thought that it was excellent. We are sticking to it.

Mr. Sandys

Since it is quite clear that no agreed solution is likely to be arrived at by further public exchanges between the British Government and the Government in Salisbury, will the Prime Minister take steps in one way or another to ensure that there will be talks either between him and Mr. Smith in London or between the Commonwealth Secretary and the Rhodesia Government in Salisbury?

The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman may have missed one point in what has been happening because I said last week that Mr. Smith and I have agreed that the exchanges now continuing should not be published. Therefore, any reference to public exchanges was a little behind the times. Certainly I look forward to Mr. Smith coming to London, and I have pressed him a number of times to do so.