§ 5. Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Uganda and how it affects the interests of British subjects.
§ Miss Joan LestorReports reaching us indicate that the situation is calm. We have no reason at present to believe that the interests of British citizens are at risk.
§ Mr. FarrIs it not about time that Her Majesty's Government took a more robust attitude when dealing with General Amin, who is universally regarded as a tyrant? Would it not be a very good thing if we were to recommend to those 1,000 or so British subjects in Uganda that they should be prepared to leave at any time at short notice, and that at the next excess by General Amin we should give a clear indication that we shall close down our embassy in that country?
§ Miss LestorThe British Government have taken a very robust attitude to many of the utterances and actions of General Amin, particularly when it was announced that the United Kingdom-based staff at the high commission had to be reduced to five and we replied in exactly the same terms by instructing the Uganda High Commission here to be reduced to five.
As for the point about the 1,000 United Kingdom citizens in Uganda, we are watching the situation there closely. We have no reason to believe that they are in any immediate physical danger. There 418 have been two recent cases of deportation, which we are having investigated. In conjunction with our high commissioner there, we are watching the position very carefully and, naturally, will take whatever action we think suitable if an unfortunate situation arises in which we have to advise our citizens to leave.