§ 14. Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to pay an official visit to Portugal.
§ Mr. HattersleyMy right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at present. He paid an official visit to Portugal on 6th and 7th February, and the Portuguese Foreign Minister was in London on 27th June for talks with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.
§ Mr. ChurchillI thank the Minister of State for that reply, and I express my appreciation of what the Foreign Secretary has done so far in showing a close interest in the very critical state of affairs developing in Portugal. At a time when the democratic parties are locked in a struggle for survival against totalitarian 1489 forces in Portugal, will the right hon. Gentleman see that Her Majesty's Government do everything in their power to assist in this situation by maximising their contact with members of the Armed Forces Movement and the democratic parties?
§ Mr. HattersleyThere are two things to be said on that general supplementary question. The first is that many of us who had very high hopes for Portugal on 24th April found many of those hopes disappointed.
Secondly, there are substantial forces in Portgual who still fight and strive for and believe in the possible triumph of democracy. I agree that our duty as a Government and as a Parliament is to encourage those democratic forces and, unilaterally and through the EEC, we shall do everything possible to bring that about.
§ Mr. HefferIn view of recent Press statements to the effect that many Government supporters who have left-wing Socialist opinions are not in favour of democracy, is my right hon. Friend aware that we support the Government in every move that they make to ensure that in Portugal there is a democratic society with freedom for political parties and with religious freedom, and that it ill becomes some Opposition Members who never once raised their voices against the totalitarian regime of Salazar suddenly to become the champions of democracy? Have not such people double standards, when many of us fight against dictatorship whether it be in Russia, Chile or anywhere else?
§ Mr. HattersleyI can only repeat what I said yesterday. There are very many people whose concern for democracy in Portugal seems to have developed rather late, and I endorse what my hon. Friend said about them. Not only is the attraction of support for a dictatorship a morally unacceptable position to me, but Portugal has demonstrated that in practice and expediency it is not a course that the Western democracies should pursue because the problems and tribulations likely to come about as a result of temporary support for such regimes are de-stabilising in terms of the West's state of democracy. Had we been more concerned about democracy in Portugal 50, 40, 30, or even 20 years ago, we would need to have less concern now. Our duty 1490 is to help those democratic forces, and my hon. Friend and I stand together on that.
§ Mrs. KnightIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are a number of British people living in Portugal who have never had reason to fear until now, but that now they have reason to fear? Can any steps be taken to protect them, their possessions and their property in the present circumstances?
§ Mr. HattersleyI am open to correction, but I do not believe that there are people living in Portgual who have cause to fear for their lives. If the hon. Lady has examples which prove me wrong, I shall be happy and anxious to investigate them. However, I know that many people living in Portugal are worried about their property and investments. I have said to representatives of the Portuguese Government—I say it again today—that if the kind of democracy that I want to see is to be built in Portugal, they have an obligation to reinforce their intention to assist international investment and those people with property in Portgual. I believe that they know that that is in their interests and that sooner or later they will make that clear.