§ Q1. Mr. Newensasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy towards efforts which are being made by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other United States intelligence organisations to infiltrate and influence organisations which function in British administered territories for purposes of subversion of law and order.
§ Q11. Mr. Hefferasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the policy towards efforts which are being made by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other United States intelligence bodies to influence and infiltrate organisations which function in British administered territories for purposes of subversion of law and order.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)No, Sir. I know of no activities of this kind in British administered territories.
§ Mr. NewensIs not my right hon. Friend aware of the involvement of the C.I.A. in British Guiana before independence; and, if he is not aware of that, does not this show a gross inefficiency in the British security services? If the British Government were aware of it prior to independence, why did not they take action to warn the Americans off and to prevent the "fiddler" constitution from being imposed?
§ The Prime MinisterThe circumstances to which my hon. Friend is purporting to refer, and which have been the subject of certain Press comments recently, relate to events before October, 1964. I am not responsible for what happened in British administered territories before 16th October, 1964.
§ Mr. HefferAs these revelations have now been made, and have been proved up to the hilt, as far as I can see, would not my right hon. Friend now carry out a thorough investigation and at the same time indicate to the American authorities that we do not approve of this sort of activity and that they must keep out of our territory?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not in a position to refer to what happened before we had the responsibility for these matters; and these question, so far as they relate to that earlier period, should be put elsewhere. So far as British administered territories now are concerned, I have already said that I know of no activities of this kind. My hon. Friend can be pretty sure that, if there were any, I should.
§ Mr. HoggAre not there many foreign originating bodies seeking to subvert law and order in British administered territories, and why is it only those coming from the United States which excite hon. Members opposite?
§ The Prime MinisterWhere such subversive activities have occurred in this country and elsewhere, I am sure that it has had the backing of the whole House when the security service of this country has sought to deal with them. It has had the backing of half the House at any rate when we have tried to deal with subversive organisations subverting law and order in Rhodesia.
§ Mr. Michael FootI concur entirely with what the Prime Minister has just said, but will not he consider that many of us regard very seriously the allegations which have been made that intervention was made by United States interests and money to overturn the Government of British Guiana at that time? Does not the Prime Minister recognise that he really ought to institute an inquiry as to whether these facts are correct and, if they are, to make representations to the United States Government that we intend this to 297 be stopped? Will he not say to the United States Government quite clearly that we do not want the C.I.A. interfering in our affairs?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend will be aware that Guyana, now, is a self-governing territory for which we have no responsibility whatsoever. It is not for me to comment on the Press stories which my hon. Friend has obviously read, but they related to a period before we had any responsibility. If my hon. Friend could find a way of doing it, the right place to address such questions would be the Front Bench opposite—I would think almost certainly the Front Bench opposite below the Gangway.
§ Sir G. NabarroIs the Prime Minister referring to me?