§ 26. Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of State for Defence how many good will visits the Royal Navy has made during the last two years to the ports of Berbera and Mogadishu in Somalia and to other ports in Eastern Africa; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BuckNo visits have been made to Berbera or Mogadishu in the last two years. During that period, however, Royal Navy ships have visited ports in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, the Malagasy Republic and the French Territory of the Afars and Issas. We are not neglecting the area.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-FowlerWill my hon. Friend bear in mind that there is considerable good will towards the United 212 Kingdom in the Republic of Somalia? Will he investigate the possibility of the Royal Navy sending a detachment on an official visit, particularly in view of the fact that when several right hon. and hon. Members of this House visited that country some two years ago we were assured that the facilities at Berbera and Mogadishu were available for use at commercial rates by ships of any navy that cared to make use of them?
§ Mr. BuckI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that supplementary question. I will gladly investigate the possibilities of a visit of the kind he has in mind. We might even draw on his contacts in that area to see whether anything useful can be arranged.
§ Mr. James JohnsonMay I confirm from personal experience that not only the Somalis in Berbera and Mogadishu but all the English-speaking people from Yemen to Zanzibar have the utmost good will towards us and that nothing but good can come from our vessels showing our flag in those waters?
§ Mr. BuckAs I have said, we show the flag in waters near there. But I will gladly go into the matters which my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman have now put before the House.