HC Deb 05 July 1967 vol 749 cc1816-7
40. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Secretary of State for Defence since what date it has been the policy of Her Majesty's Government to ban the construction in British shipyards of ships for the South African Navy.

Mr. Mason

17th November, 1964.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Will the hon. Gentleman accept that he was a little unfair on 31st May to imply that this had been the policy of the previous Government? Can he now say what is the advantage, whether to the United Nations or anybody else, of a ban which does not deprive South Africa of these warships, but merely deprives British yards of the orders, to the benefit of the French?

Mr. Mason

I am sorry the right hon. Gentleman thought that I misled him during the course of the last question and answer session, but the previous Government, of which he was a member, supported the United Nations Resolutions of 4th December. 1963, and 18th June, 1964, during the course of which the Resolution stated that we would cease forthwith the sale and shipment of arms. The difference between us is that we acted and have guts, whereas the previous Government did not.

Mr. Powell

Will the hon. Gentleman be sure that he gets the record right in this matter? The previous Administration always made it clear that they held themselves free to continue to supply South Africa with arms which could not be used in any repressive context.

Mr. Mason

The previous Government hedged it with qualifications, and we did not.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Is it not the case, to be practical, that the South African Navy is patrolling a vast area of ocean on behalf of the Western Alliance, and is it, therefore, not ridiculous to withhold from the South African Navy warships which other members of the Western Alilance, such as France, are willing to supply, and do?

Mr. Mason

That is completely covered by the replies given by my hon. Friend the Minister of Defence for Administration.