Spain

HC Deb 29 October 1975 vol 898 cc1572-3

8. Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government to indicate to the Government of Spain their condemnation of the recent executions of Basque Nationalists and members of other minority groups and of the policies generally followed by the Spanish Government.

Mr. James Callaghan

Representations have been made at a high level on a number of occasions, including my discussion with the Spanish Foreign Minister in New York in advance of the executions, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's message to the Spanish Prime Minister. Britain also took part as members of the European Community in joint démarches and statements.

Mr. Wigley

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the Government would not in any circumstances contemplate the admission of Spain into the EEC, or any relationship with the EEC, while a repressive régime of the kind in power there now continues the sort of policies that led to the executions?

Mr. Callaghan

I have made that clear, and I repeat it now. It may be that we are on the verge of a new movement in Spain. We must wait and see, and hope, for the sake of the Spanish people and of Europe, that that is so. There are many tendencies at work in Spain today. I can only hope that a situation will be created in which it will be possible for Europe and Spain to come closer together.

Mr. Amery

In answer to an earlier Question the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary indicated that in deciding whether to make an official protest he had to consider whether it would be beneficial, thereby, I assume, indicating that it was no bloody use making representations to the Soviet bloc. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the representations that he made to Spain have immensely strengthened the remaining pro-Fascist elements in Spain and have done great harm to the moderate elements?

Mr. Callaghan

The right hon. Gentleman should not make any assumption. whether bloody or otherwise, of the kind he made in the first part of his question. As for the representations to Spain, in which we took separate action and combined action with many other countries I point out to the right hon. Gentleman that, whether as a result of the protests and appeals or not, six of the 11 sentenced were reprieved. It would be hard for the right hon. Gentleman to deduce that the appeals we made and the representations made by many other countries had no effect.

Mr. Raphael Tuck

Why not let Spain come into the EEC? She would be much worse off there than outside it.

Mr. Callaghan

If the Spanish people, on the basis of a referendum, decided by three to one that they wanted to come in, I certainly would not object, provided the referendum was conducted democratically.

Mr. Maudling

Why have the right hon. Gentleman's representations to Spain alone been in public and his many representations to other countries been in private?

Mr. Callaghan

I do not know whether the right hon. Gentleman wants to keep picking at this—

Mr. Maudling

I do.

Mr. Callaghan

In that case, let me give him the answer. If he consults his records, the right hon. Gentleman will find that these representations are not the only ones to have been made public. They concerned particularly sensitive issues that aroused deep emotion in many parts of Europe. The right hon. Gentleman may not share it, but many other people do.