HC Deb 08 March 1966 vol 725 cc1906-7
Q2. Mr. Kershaw

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes to visit Aden and Singapore.

The Prime Minister

I have no present plans for such a visit.

Mr. Kershaw

Does the Prime Minister recall that not so long ago he said that Aden must be held as a centre of communications and as a centre of peacekeeping operations? Does he not owe an explanation, before he leaves office, to those who have relied upon us, as to why he now wishes to hand them over to Colonel Nasser?

The Prime Minister

I think the hon. Member had better read what I said—which I will not read, Mr. Speaker. He will find it in col. 1404 of the OFFICIAL REPORT for 17th June, 1964. That was the hon. Member's quotation. I said that we have surely learned our lesson over the years, that bases cannot be held against the wishes of the local government and the local population. I went on to say that when we were the Government we would have a full review to decide our attitude, but that on the information then available it seemed that we should stay in Aden, but we reserved our full right, till we were in office and had full information, to decide whether such a base should be used.

Mr. Heath

I am sure the Prime Minister will agree with the Secretary of State yesterday that the last Colonial Secretary's attempt to have a conference to arrange freedom or independence for the Federation, which was unsuccessful, was not a final attempt in this matter, and that there will be another conference before final independence for the Federation. If this is so, and the Federation wants the British Government to make a defence agreement with it, and provides the necessary forces, will the Prime Minister, should he still be in office, accept it? Because if we are in office, we would.

The Prime Minister

This matter was fully dealt with by my right hon. Friend, but I agree with one statement of the right hon. Gentleman yesterday, when he said that the attempt to have a conference which they tried to hold would not be the last one. He said that. We tried with might and main three or four times last year to set up a commission. We had them over to this country, and I myself met all the representatives of the Federation, as well as those of Aden. We tried to agree with them the whole basis on which we could go forward, and the conference broke down entirely.

Mr. Heath

I must press the Prime Minister. As that conference was not the last and cannot be the last before independence of the Federation, is it not entirely wrong that the decision should have been taken to break faith and to have no defence agreement and no support for the Federation, even if in the future it should want it? The decision has been taken at the wrong time.

The Prime Minister

No, Sir. As my right hon. Friend made clear yesterday, there will, of course, be another conference. There will have to be. But we have made it clear in our White Paper that we believe that the best interests of all concerned now will be with carrying out the White Paper and by no longer trying, at an enormous cost which the right hon. Gentleman irresponsibly dismisses, to maintain our presence in Aden if we are not wanted there.