§ 2. Mr. Shoreasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what relief supplies from the United Kingdom are now reaching the people of East Bengal; and whether the relief organisations there are able to supervise their distribution.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Sir Alec Douglas-Home)I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement I made in the House on 11th May and to the 867 speech of my right hon. Friend in the debate on 14th May.—[Vol. 817, c. 206–213; Vol. 817, c. 761–767.]
§ Mr. ShoreThe right hon. Gentleman will recall that he submitted to U Thant that he should make further representations to the Pakistan Government about getting in an international team to assess the needs there. Has U Thant had any response from the Pakistan Government? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the exchange of letters, published on the 13th, indicates a deplorable lack of a sense of urgency on the part of the Pakistan Government?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI have stressed the urgency of this many times. The United Nations and the World Bank are now in touch with the Government of Pakistan. I cannot report anything fresh today, except to say that they are in touch and are, I think, seized of the urgency of the matter.
§ Mr. HealeyCan the Secretary of State confirm or deny—I appreciate the difficulty of commenting on Press reports—reports that have appeared in the Press about the Pakistan Government having rejected U Thant's request that the United Nations should distribute aid in East Bengal? Have Her Majesty's Government made any representations on this matter, assuming that these reports are true?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThere are two distinct matters. There is the aid that might now be distributed, and in that respect the refugee camps in India are perhaps the first priority. There is then, later, the aid that may be needed if there is severe famine in Pakistan. For the present, the Pakistan Government say that the only distribution of food that may be needed in East Pakistan must be distributed by the army. As for a United Nations team or United Nations distribution, this is still being discussed between U Thant and representatives of the Pakistan Government.
§ Mr. HealeyIt is universally agreed—the Minister for Overseas Development accepted this on Friday—that there are 4 million people at this time in East Bengal suffering from the disasters caused by the floods last year and liable to die of famine unless stores which are already available in Chittagong are rapidly dis- 868 tributed. Is any progress being made in this matter?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeA United Nations representative is now in India considering this matter, at the request of the Indian Government, and I hope that we shall get a recommendation from him quite soon. If necessary, we could, of course, always take further action over the transport of supplies, but this should really be under an international umbrella now, and the right one is the United Nations.
§ 28. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement about the safety of British subjects in East Pakistan.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThere have been no confirmed reports of injury to any United Kingdom nations in East Pakistan. There was one report of a United Kingdom national said to have been injured whilst crossing the frontier into India but despite investigations there is no confirmation of this.
§ Mr. JannerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are many thousands of people in this country with relatives in East Pakistan who are unable to find out whether those relatives are alive or dead? Will he set up some system whereby people who are living here, whether British subjects or not, can ascertain whether their families are alive and in good health?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThat is one reason for the existence of the Pakistan High Commission in London. Relatives should go to the Pakistan High Commissioner and ask him for advice and advice and information.
§ Mr. George CunninghamWill the Secretary of State acknowledge that in present circumstances it is quite impossible for people from East Bengal to go to the Pakistan High Commission and make inquiries about their relatives? Will he confirm that the services of British diplomatic missions are available to United Kingdom citizens for this purpose and that they will be available to residents in this country who are not United Kingdom citizens?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThere should be no difficulty whatever about people 869 from East Pakistan going to the High Commission to inquire whether it has any information about their relatives. I should have thought that it was obvious to hon. Members that the High Commission is much more likely to have it than we are. If people have any difficulty and we can supply information, we shall do so. But the High Commission is the obvious place to go to for this purpose.
§ Sir F. BennettAre not the remarks of hon. Members opposite an unwarranted implied slur on the Pakistan High Commissioner? Is it not a fact that the Deputy High Commissioner is a Bengali from East Pakistan?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeYes. I should have thought that the High Commissioner and his staff would do everything they possibly could to try to help Pakistani citizens with information about their relatives. At present, information is extremely difficult to get, by anyone.
§ 31. Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has submitted to the Pakistan Aid Consortium for a reassessment of the aid programme to Pakistan following the outbreak of civil war in East Pakistan.
§ The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Richard Wood)I am not yet in a position to make proposals. Our decisions must await the outcome of consultations now taking place within the framework of the consortium.
§ Mr. JuddWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask him if he would be prepared to take the initiative in calling for a review by the consortium to ensure that the international aid programmes to Pakistan are not underwriting the suppression of the people of East Pakistan?
§ Mr. WoodI am very anxious that the consortium should reach an agreed view about this, and that is why I am very carefully considering the position we should take before the next meeting of the consortium.
§ Mr. TilneyWould not my right hon. Friend bear in mind the urgent need which has lasted for many years now to build up funds against flood and storm?
§ Mrs. HartWill the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the pledging meeting of the aid consortium is scheduled for June? In the debate we had in the House last Friday many views were expressed on this question. Will the right hon. Gentleman undertake to keep the House fully informed about the progress of negotiations, not only about our offer but the general negotiations of the consortium?