Libya

HC Deb 18 December 1974 vol 883 cc1554-6

6. Mr. Grylls

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Libya.

21. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will pay an official visit to Libya.

Mr. Ennals

My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Libya.

Mr. Grylls

If the Foreign Secretary does meet members of the Libyan Government, will he pursue with them very vigorously the case of my 83-year-old constituent who has lost everything in Libya, and will he let me know what their reaction is to her very just claim which has been pursued for a long time? Will he draw to the attention of the Libyan Government the fact that her claim is very modest compared with the £17.4 million which is to be paid in cash to BP any moment now?

Mr. Ennals

As the hon. Gentleman knows from the Adjournment debate in May, I am personally very well aware of the difficulties which Mrs. Starkings is facing, and I have a great deal of sympathy for her. I assure the hon. Gentleman that we shall continue, as we have done previously, to press the Libyan Government to give urgent consideration to her case.

Mr. James Johnson

I do not particularly want the Minister to visit Libya, but is he aware that I do want him or any of his ministerial colleagues in the Department to visit the Horn of Africa? During the last 10 years, particularly since the independence of Somalia, no British Minister has been there. In view of the opening of the Suez Canal next March and the designation of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, as well as many other factors, could not one Minister, when moving about on the usual line—Lusaka, Dares-Salaam and Nairobi—go to the northeast and have a look at that part of the world?

Mr. Ennals

Many of us go beyond the usual line to which my hon. Friend has referred. But I shall look at his suggestion. The demands upon my right hon. and hon. Friends and myself are fairly heavy in terms of travel, but I shall bear in mind my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Mr. Goodhart

As it has been estimated that Libya is now contributing more than £5 million a year to various terrorist organisations, including the Provisional wing of the IRA, may I ask what protests we have made in the last 12 months about Libya's anti-social behaviour?

Mr. Ennals

We have made it very clear to the Libyan Government that we regard Libyan support for the IRA as blatant interference in the internal affairs of the United Kingdom. There are certainly indications that the IRA may have received some aid and training from Libya. I think that the whole House would deplore that situation.

Mr. Colin Jackson

Does my right hon. Friend agree, however, that Britain has important commercial interests and educational links in Libya and that, therefore, it is very important, despite the natural disquiet about certain matters which have been mentioned, that we should maintain contact with Libya and indeed, in certain circumstances, make a ministerial visit?

Mr. Ennals

I agree with my hon. Friend. We certainly want to maintain contact with the Libyan Government and to maintain a good relationship. There are important outstanding issues. One of them, happily, has been settled in the agreement which has been reached between the Libyan Government and BP concerning the outstanding claims. This was an important step forward. Certainly we hope that it will be followed by others.