§ Q7. Mr. Francis Noel-Bakerasked the Prime Minister what steps he will take to co-ordinate the work of the various Government Departments concerned with policy towards Aden and South Arabia.
§ The Prime MinisterI am satisfied that the work of the various Government Departments concerned with policy towards South Arabia is already well co-ordinated.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWill my right hon. Friend put it to these Departments that it has become impossible for the British Government at one and the same time to suppress a Nationalist uprising and negotiate with the Nationalist leaders? Will he therefore withdraw from negotiations altogether and allow the United Nations to handle them, and accelerate our departure from Aden?
§ The Prime MinisterI am afraid that my hon. Friend is quite wrong about this. It is the duty of the Government, as long as we have a responsibility for Aden, to deal with violence and subversion and the loss of life which results from that. This is not incompatible with seeking to get a broadly-based Government, and, as my right hon. Friend explained, this we are doing.
With regard to what my hon. Friend said about the United Nations, I welcome the fact that a representative of F.L.O.S.Y. has gone to New York to have consultations with the United Nations Mission. We shall facilitate this, and my noble Friend, Lord Caradon, on our behalf will help to try to get those talks further advanced.