RHODESIA (Hansard, 19 May 1966)

§ Q2. Mr. Ian Lloyd
asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the progress of the negotiations with Mr. Ian Smith.

§ The Prime Minister
The informal talks between officials are still in progress, and I have no statement to make at present.

§ Mr. Lloyd
While the House will respect the Prime Minister's taciturnity on this occasion, may I ask him to appreciate that his ability to escape his largely self-imposed dilemma in which he finds himself will largely depend on his giving a much fuller and franker disclosure of the real facts involved in this matter? In particular, will he tell the House, what he must know, of the extent of the material and financial aid to Rhodesia?

§ The Prime Minister
There is no question of a self-imposed dilemma here, although some hon. Members opposite—unlike other hon. Members—have failed entirely to see the real issues involved here. They are burying their heads in the sand. There is a widespread understanding in the House that this matter is of the utmost world importance. We want to deal with the issue and to get an honourable settlement, otherwise our whole position in the world will be prejudiced. The hon. Member might not see this. We believe that we can do it better by not making a series of statements while the talks are going on.

§ Mr. Michael Foot
Will the Prime Minister indicate whether in these talks it has been possible to raise the question, strongly pressed at the last two Commonwealth Conferences, of the urgent need to release from imprisonment and detention people who are imprisoned without trial? Does he not think that the time is rapidly approaching when representatives of the majority of the people of Southern Rhodesia should be associated with these talks?

§ The Prime Minister
I think that it is too early to widen the basis of these talks. I am sorry that I cannot go beyond what I have said as to the content of the discussions. Before there can be any settlement, some very wide issues will be involved including, for example, everything involved in the fifth principle that the ultimate settlement must be one which is acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole.

§ Mr. Sandys
While fully supporting the view that it would be undesirable to make any statement at this stage, may I ask the Prime Minister whether he realises that the entire country devoutly hopes that these talks will be successful?

§ The Prime Minister
I agree with what the right hon. Gentleman said in the opening to his question. I am sure that the entire country hopes that they will be successful on a basis which is acceptable to the whole House, namely, the five principles on which successive Governments have insisted.

§ Mr. Thorpe
In view of the fact that this Question refers to negotiations being currently carried on with Mr. Ian Smith, will the Prime Minister confirm that all that is taking place in fact is talks between officials to see whether there is a basis upon which talks might subsequently be held and in order to find out whether Mr. Smith is prepared to be more reasonable than he was before 11th November?

§ The Prime Minister
I noticed the prejudicial nature of the wording used in the Question, but I did not want to waste the time of the House by quarrelling with it. I dealt with the matter by saying that they were informal talks between officials, and their purpose is to see whether there is a basis for negotiations and with whom.