§ 11. Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many official visits to Greece have been made by Ministers in the last 12 months.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeOne, Sir.
§ Mr. FraserWill the Foreign Secretary confirm that when Ministers go to Greece they make clear beyond a scintilla of doubt that it is the aim of British foreign policy to see democracy restored in Greece, as it is the aim of the NATO Treaty, too? Second, may we know which Minister was responsible for the idiotic decision to send British troops on a NATO exercise in Northern Greece at a time when part of the Greek armed forces were revolting against the dictatorship there?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeNATO exercises have been held over the years, and Greece has taken part. We see no reason to disturb this; nor did the previous Government. On the general matter of ministerial visits to Greece, there has, as I say, been one, as was the case in the previous Government's time.
§ Mr. CallaghanAs this illegal and dictatorial régime has now deposed the 1470 monarch, to whom is our ambassador accredited, and when will he be coming home?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeHe will not be coming home. We shall leave him there.
§ Mr. CallaghanWhy?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeBecause there is no need, so we are informed, to alter his terms of accreditation to the Greek Government. The Greek Government meet our criteria for recognition, being in control of the country.
§ Mr. CallaghanIs it correct that he is legally accredited to the Greek Government? Was he not accredited to the monarch, and, if so, has there not been a change, and should we not take advantage of this illegal change which has been made to raise with our allies in NATO, and, indeed, in the EEC, what should be the combined attitude of our countries towards the Greek régime, which is clearly bitterly opposed by many people in Greece?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeWe very much deplore the fact that the monarchy has been brought to an end by this illegal Government, as the right hon. Gentleman described it. Nevertheless, they are a Government with whom we have had relations all these years, and the situation has not changed in that respect. They are in control of the country, and therefore we recognise them.
§ Mr. Evelyn KingWill my right hon. Friend confirm that if Ministers were not to visit countries of whose Governments they disapproved, there would be few places to which they could go?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI agree with what my hon. Friend says.
§ Later—
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeWith the leave of the House, Mr. Speaker, I should like to correct a slip of the tongue I made just now in picking up a phrase of the right hon. Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan) when he talked about
the illegal régime in Greece.I think I said that he rightly called itthe illegal régime in Greece.1471 I must make it plain that the Greek Government meet our criteria for recognition and we have recognised them.
§ Mr. CallaghanEveryone accepts that the right hon. Gentleman made a slip of the tongue. I thought that it was a very fortunate slip of the tongue.