§ Q3. Mr. Townsendasked the Prime Minister if he has recently met the Commonwealth Secretary General.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. I had a meeting with Mr. Ramphal last Thursday 6th May.
§ Mr. TownsendDid the Prime Minister ask the Secretary-General what action the Commonwealth Committee on Cyprus plans to take to protect that tragically divided island when the Turkish military authorities are introducing more Turks from the mainland into Cyprus and the number of Greek Cypriots in the north continues to diminish?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, I did not discuss that point with the Secretary General, but perhaps the hon. Member 228 will table a Question to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, who is, I know, concerned about it.
§ Mr. HooleyWill my right hon. Friend explain to the Secretary General what has happened to the Government's excellent initiative on commodities, taken at Kingston last year, which, judging by the speeches of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade at UNCTAD the other day, appears to have disappeared into a totally negative and unhelpful approach?
§ The Prime MinisterWe discussed that matter, which has been discussed a number of times. The Government are most anxious to enter into a series of commodity - by - commodity arrangements, which would help the developing countries. However, when we are asking our own people to accept a voluntary reduction in their standard of life there are limits to what we can do in other directions.
§ Sir David RentonIn view of the unemployment levels, the shortage of housing and school places, and other factors in this country, will the Prime Minister ask the Commonwealth Secretariat for help on the difficult problem of British passport holders in East and Central Africa, perhaps to use its good offices with the Indian Government, bearing in mind that so many of these people originated from India.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, I think that is a matter for us and not for the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
§ Mr. SpearingWhen my right hon. Friend met the Secretary-General did he refer to any initiative he might take for getting Commonwealth representatives to meet before UNCTAD, and was that possible? Does my right hon. Friend not realise that the speech by the Secretary of State for Trade was not a happy one for the Government, because it did not contain many positive proposals of which the Commonwealth Secretariat would have approved wholeheartedly?
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government's policy is based to a considerable extent upon the report of the experts of the Commonwealth who met before the UNCTAD meeting and have been meeting regularly for the past 12 months. We 229 have discussed these matters on a number of occasions. We wish and are ready to put in a great deal in order to ensure the success of these commodity agreements, but there are limits to what this country can do in present circumstances.
§ Mr. TapsellRemembering the important speech on commodities of the last Prime Minister, in Kingston, does not Dr. Kissinger's recent speech developing that theme produce a timely situation for a Commonwealth initiative, especially as many of the problems in these and other countries in the international monetary field have been caused by violent fluctuations in commodity prices?
§ The Prime MinisterThat was the origin of my right hon. Friend's speech last year, in which I played some part. It is in order to achieve that end that we would like to see commodity arrangements entered into, commodity by commodity. That would be far better than the bottomless purse that would be needed if we had a general fund for this purpose. We are certain that this would improve the position of developing countries. There is a widespread concern—which I share—about the indebtedness of developing countries, which is rapidly increasing. We have an obligation to do what we can, but here are limits beyond which we cannot go in present circumstances.