SOUTH AFRICA AND PORTUGAL (Hansard, 14 July 1970)

§ Q2. Mr. William Hamilton
asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to South Africa in the near future.

§ Q3. Mr. Peter Archer
asked the Prime Minister whether he will seek to pay an official visit to Portugal.

§ The Prime Minister
No, Sir.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Why does not the right hon. Gentleman decide to visit his friends more often? Has he asked Mr. Vorster to act as the go-between in negotiations with Mr. Ian Smith?

§ The Prime Minister
I have no plans to visit these countries at present, though we are in diplomatic relations with them. There is no truth in the last part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question

§ Mr. Archer
While sympathising with the Prime Minister's distaste for such a meeting, may I ask him to find a method to convey to the South African and Portuguese Governments the fact that Her Majesty's Government will not condone the infringement of human rights and that we shall respect United Nations and Council of Europe resolutions on the subject—if that is, in fact, the right hon. Gentleman's intention?

§ The Prime Minister
That is the view of Her Majesty's Government, as is well known to both countries.

§ Mr. Harold Wilson
Would the right hon. Gentleman say whether, in his talks with the American Government, they indicated that they would support the shipments of arms to South Africa? Would he also say whether reports that he has communicated with Heads of Government in the Commonwealth with a view to the resumed supply of arms to South Africa are true or false?

§ The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has already told the House that we are in consultation with Commonwealth Governments on these matters. A full statement has been promised to the House for next week. As far as consultations are concerned, one must put a particular view to a Government before one can consult about a matter, and that is the basis on which we are working. I understand that the Opposition may wish to debate the subject. We appreciate that.

§ Mr. Harold Wilson
And the American view?

§ The Prime Minister
As for the American view, this is a matter for the American Government to state publicly.

§ Mr. Wilson
What view has been put to the Commonwealth? Would the right hon. Gentleman answer with a "Yes" or "No"? [HON. MEMBERS: "Did you?"] I said "Yes" or "No" on all matters of this importance. Would the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has put a proposition to them involving the supply of arms to South Africa, in breach of the Security Council resolution?

§ The Prime Minister
When Her Majesty's Government have reached a decision they will inform the House, after they have carried on consultations with the Commonwealth countries. It would be improper for us, while carrying on those consulations, to announce a proposition which has been made to Commonwealth countries.

§ Mr. Sandys
Will my right hon. Friend do all he can to restore our old friendship with Portugal, with whom our relations in the last few years have become so strained?

§ The Prime Minister
Portugal is our ally in N.A.T.O. and continued to be so when the Opposition were in power. We have diplomatic relations with both South Africa and Portugal so, naturally, we like to have normal relations with them.

§ Mr. John Mendelson
With reference to any discussions with Commonwealth Governments, can the Prime Minister deny what was reported yesterday in reputable newspapers that the Government have announced the decision that they will resume arms sales to South Africa and then start discussions with Commonwealth countries, or are the Government having real discussions before the final decision is taken?

§ The Prime Minister
We are having proper discussions with the Commonwealth countries, and it is right that while we are doing so we should not state publicly the contents of communications. We shall do so when the Government have reached their conclusions. We have promised a statement to the House next week, which we shall then make.

§ Sir F. Bennett
Will my right hon. Friend take it that all of us on this side accept that when he does announce Her Majesty's Government's decision it will be one in the British national interest, 1360 which will be a departure from what we have become used to in the past?

§ The Prime Minister
I stated that in my statement on the Queen's Speech.

§ Mr. Michael Foot
To refer to the original Question, why is the Prime Minister so reticent about visiting Cape Town to settle this disreputable deal when a previous Conservative Prime Minister, assisted by the right hon. Gentleman the present Foreign Secretary, was quite prepared to go to Munich?

§ The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman is embarrassing his right hon. Friends far more than he is embarrassing me. There is nothing disreputable about discussing with Commonwealth Governments the carrying out of obligations, which were binding on the Administration of the Labour Party when in power, but which they failed to carry out.

§ Mr. Biggs-Davison
Did not the Government presided over by the right hon. Member for Huyton (Mr. Harold Wilson) base their southern hemisphere strategy far more than have any Conservative Government on the South African Navy? Is it not, therefore, utter hypocrisy for them to condemn the sale of arms for naval purposes to South Africa?

§ The Prime Minister
Right hon. Gentlemen opposite must answer for their own hypocrisy: they had five and a half years to do so.

§ Mr. Healey
As the overwhelming majority of our allies in N.A.T.O., who have as much concern as we have in the security of the Cape route, and as the overwhelming majority of our partners in the Commonwealth and our potential partners in the Common Market, have declared themselves opposed to the policy which the Government proposed during the General Election, and as the South African Government have attempted to blackmail Britain by exploiting the Government's weakness to seek revision of the Simonstown Treaty totally in their own interest, will not the Prime Minister now align Her Majesty's Government with the overwhelming majority of those on whom we depend for our defence and prosperity?

§ The Prime Minister
We shall take our decisions on their own merits, but I well 1361 recall, when the right hon. Gentleman was Secretary of State for Defence and Mr. George Brown was Foreign Secretary, how they were both dished by the right hon. Gentleman the present Leader of the Opposition sending his Chief Whip round to get hon. Members to sign a Motion against him on something which he himself wanted.

§ Mr. Harold Wilson
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker. In view of the un-satisfactory nature of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, I beg leave to give notice that my right hon. Friends and I will take an early opportunity of raising the matter—and not on the Adjournment.

§ The Prime Minister
If I may say so, as the right hon. Gentleman has already told us that, it makes no difference.