HC Deb 07 March 1972 vol 832 cc1235-7
Q5. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Prime Minister when he hopes to make an official visit to the United Nations.

The Prime Minister

It is the normal practice for Governments to be represented at the General Assembly of the United Nations by Foreign Ministers or Permanent Representatives, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary attended the 1970 and 1971 Sessions. I attended the Special Commemorative Session in October, 1970, and would be glad to visit the United Nations again on an appropriate occasion.

Mr. Dalyell

Is it accepted that the United Nations conference on the environment at Stockholm is in serious jeopardy over the issue of an East German presence, and that the Department of the Environment is preparing hard for the conference but that the Foreign Office is against it, for protocol reasons? Which ministerial horse, the Foreign Secretary, or Government, is the Prime Minister backing?

The Prime Minister

It is not necessary for me to take that decision, because the hon. Gentleman's facts are wrong. The Government are most strongly supporting the conference——

Mr. Dalyell

And the Foreign Office?

The Prime Minister

The Government as a whole are strongly supporting the conference. If the hon. Gentleman listens to the facts of the case he will hear from what I am about to say the real point at issue. The chief scientific adviser to the Government will be going, as well as Ministerial representation——

Mr. Dalyell

If it takes place.

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman is singularly ill-informed, because discussions are now going on about an arrangement which would allow East Germany to be present. East Germany was not included in the original United Nations decision on representation. That was not our responsibility——

Mr. Dalyell

Partly it was.

The Prime Minister

; It was a decision of the United Nations Assembly. What we are doing is to work, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for means by which the problem can be solved.

Sir G. Longden

If my right hon. Friend should decide to go to the United Nations, which I hope he will, will he take with him specific proposals for increasing the effectiveness of that organisation?

The Prime Minister

From time to time all Governments have put forward proposals to make the United Nations more effective. We dealt with this at the special conference in 1970, particularly over the question of peace-keeping arrangements.

Mr. Harold Wilson

While welcoming what the Prime Minister says about the special arrangements in respect of East Germany, may I ask him to confirm that the arrangements proposed are on the lines of the suggestion made by West Germany for United Nations representation generally, namely that both West and East Germany should be there without calling in question German unity? Will he say whether it is intended in these circumstances that West Germany will be going as well?

The Prime Minister

Under the terms of the General Assembly resolution, the Federal Republic of Germany is entitled to be present. There is no problem about West Germany's being present because the General Assembly decided that it could be. East Germany was excluded from the resolution and since then proposals have been put forward which would enable East Germany to be there. We do not yet know whether these are acceptable to the Powers concerned.

Sir R. Cary

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the prime task of the United Nations is fostering world peace? In those circumstances would he also agree that a great debt is owed to President Nixon for taking the first step to build a new bridge of friendship and co-operation between China and the United States?

The Prime Minister

I welcome the visit of President Nixon to Peking. He informed us before the announcement was made and naturally I discussed it with him in Bermuda. I am very glad that the visit has taken place.

Mr. Thorpe

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if he does go to the United Nations it would be helpful to the world community if he could clarify the attitude of Her Majesty's Government towards the question of sanctions in Rhodesia. Is he further aware that the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs very frankly replied to me that no representations had been made to the Americans before they agreed about the chrome sanctions in defiance of the Charter, and none has been made afterwards? Can we know, in the event of a "No" from Lord Pearce, whether the Government hope that other nations will continue to honour their obligations—or have the Government lost interest in this?

The Prime Minister

The American position is a matter resting between the United States and the United Nations, as it would be with any other country concerned with the observance of sanctions. As for this country, we had better await the report of the Pearce Commission.