Czechoslovakia (Hansard, 2 February 1977)

§ 5. Mr. Luce
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consultations he has had with the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia.

§ 15. Mr. Newens
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has plans to make an official visit to Prague.

§ 23. Mr. Whitehead
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for returning the visit of the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister before the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe follow-up meeting in Belgrade.

§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Aflairs (Mr. Anthony Crosland)
I last had talks with the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister when he visited London from 13th to 16th September last year. I have no present plans to go to Prague.

§ Mr. Luce
Although I welcome the reported discussions between the Minister of State and the Czechoslovak Ambassador yesterday, will the Secretary of State nevertheless seek the earliest opportunity to have a meeting with the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister with a view to conveying to him the overwhelming view of the British Parliament sympathising with the Charter '77 group in its stand against all violations of human rights in Czechoslovakia? Similarly, will the right hon. Gentleman say that there can be no detente unless the Czechoslovak regime and other Communist regimes show a greater respect for individual freedom?

§ Mr. Crosland
There can be no doubt about the feelings on all sides of the House on the issue of Charter '77 and its declaration. The Government share the views expressed by the hon. Member, and we have conveyed to the Czechoslovak regime our profound concern about the treatment now being meted out to certain of the signatories of Charter '77. Our commitment to human rights remains absolutely firm and strong, and this kind of incident is bound to come up at the Belgrade Review Conference and is bound to colour some of the discussions there.

§ Mr. Newens
Is my right hon. Friend aware that more than 70 Members of Parliament on the left and centre of the Parliamentary Labour Party who have campaigned on Left-wing and anti-imperialist causes such as Chile and Vietnam have signed a statement in solidarity with the signatories of Charter '77? Will he convey to the Czechoslovak authorities that many of us are absolutely horrified by this repression and regard it as totally incompatible with genuine Socialism?

§ Mr. Crosland
I agree entirely. There is no question of left, right or centre on an issue of this kind. There is absolute unanimity in the House that this kind of suppression of human rights and free speech—and this is not the only recent example from Eastern Europe but is probably the most dramatic of them—is not tolerable and acceptable to Western opinion and that, if this sort of thing continues, there is no doubt that the prospects for a successful outcome of the Belgrade Conference will be diminished greatly.

§ Mr. Whitehead
Will my right hon. Friend accept the thanks of right hon. and hon. Members in all parts of the House for the rebuke issued yesterday to the Czechoslovak Government by Lord Goronwy-Roberts, which should remind the Czechoslovak Government that their country is no longer a far-away place about which we care little? Because we care about it, ought we not to say to the Czechoslovak Government that the personal smear tactics used against Ludvik Vaculik and others of the Charter '77 movement and the attempt to involve Western correspondents are not merely in the slimiest traditions of the KGB but are also imperilling both the reputation 530 of Czechoslovakia and the whole Belgrade Conference?

§ Mr. Crosland
I think that the whole House will deplore the tactics being used against the signatories of Charter '77. They are also being used against certain British citizens, including two former ambassadors who have been grotesquely accused of acting as British spies—an accusation in which, I need hardly say, there is not an ounce of truth.

§ Mr. Wiggin
Will the right hon. Gentleman say the extent to which his intelligence sources reveal a build-up of Russia's armed forces in Czechoslovakia and Poland since the beginning of December?

§ Mr. Crosland
No, Sir.