HC Deb 05 May 1969 vol 783 cc13-4
12. Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

Mr. M. Stewart

I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) on 29th April.—[Vol. 782, c. 1152.]

Mr. Wall

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether any reply has been sent to the recent proposals from Salisbury and whether Her Majesty's Government propose any new initiatives before the Rhodesian referendum, after which it will be too late?

Mr. Stewart

We have not had anything from Salisbury which could be de scribed as a proposal or plan.

Mr. Philip Noel-Baker

Will my right hon. Friend consider whether he could give us an adequate picture of the arrangements to be made for consulting the African people of Rhodesia about any settlement that is reached in order to avoid the disasters which followed the inadequate consultation in respect of the so-called Central African Federation?

Mr. Stewart

My right hon. Friend will remember that one of the six principles and one of the terms of the "Fearless" proposals was that they should be acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole. I hope that it may be possible in due course to make a much fuller statement both on this point and on others.