HC Deb 09 June 1982 vol 25 cc192-4
4. Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the political support being given to the United Kingdom by the United Kingdom's European Economic Community partners in relation to the Falkland Islands.

Mr. Pym

Yes, Sir. We are grateful to have received the strong and continuing political support which we have from our partners.

Mr. Dubs

Does the Secretary of State agree that many of our EC partners have expressed concern that a military victory will not solve the problem in the South Atlantic? Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that they have been urging the British Government to lay the basis for a lasting settlement there and to take that on board as a more important responsibility than they have so far?

Mr. Pym

What will happen after repossession exercises the mind of Her Majesty's Government to a great extent. Naturally, there is international interest in what will occur then. I think that it is an open question at this stage. It depends on the precise circumstances at the time. It is right that we should have discussions with our partners and other friendly nations about what will take place. We have thought about a number of possibilities for the future, but exactly what happens at that point must depend on the circumstances.

Mr. John Townend

Were the Government surprised and disappointed at the failure of the French Government to join Britain and the United States in vetoing the ceasefire resolution? If so, what representations have the Government made to France?

Mr. Pym

We have been grateful throughout for the general support that France has given us. That was expressed in a forthright way by President Mitterrand at the conclusion of the summit conference. I can go no further than to draw my hon. Friend's attention to those words.

Mr. Dalyell

Who is right—the Government of France, who claim that sanctions are being implemented, or the chairman of Aerospatiale Dassault, who proclaims the value of its wares being sold to Latin American countries? In particular, does the Foreign Secretary have any faith in end user certificates? Could not sales to Venezuela easily go south?

Mr. Pym

I do not want to comment in a definitive sense on the hon. Gentleman's latter point, because hon. Members will have different views. I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are grateful for the support that we have received from the French Government. They have put themselves to a considerable amount of trouble in the economic measures that they have already taken. We are confident that they have contributed to the effect that the measures have had on the Argentine economy, which is certainly in a very bad state. I shall leave the matter there.

Sir Anthony Meyer

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the support that we have received from the French Government has been unfaltering throughout? Is my right hon. Friend aware that he will have wide support for his determination to maintain maximum support from our allies for the policies that he is pursuing?

Mr. Pym

I agree with my hon. Friend. It is part of my daily purpose to maintain maximum support from our partners and from other countries.

Mr. Healey

Is the right hon. Gentleman not disturbed by the fact that last week we were in a minority of one to nine in the Security Council, whereas on 3 April we were in a majority of nine to one? Does he agree that one reason for that is that none of our allies in Europe or on the other side of the Atlantic supported the British veto last Thursday?

Furthermore, did not the resolution that the British Government vetoed link a ceasefire with the implementation of resolution 502—a link on which the right hon. Gentleman has always insisted? Did not Mr. Haig, a day or two ago, express the view that it might have created a basis for a peaceful withdrawal of the Argentine forces, and did not the British ambassador, on first reading the resolution on Thursday last week, express the same view? Even at this late hour, will the right hon. Gentleman seek to produce a resolution with a satisfactory timetable so that it may still be possible to secure the withdrawal of Argentine troops without the bloodshed that may otherwise follow?

Mr. Pym

No, Sir. The resolution that was vetoed had a superficial attraction, but, when one went into it carefully, one found that it did not adequately link the ceasefire with withdrawal, which we made clear from the very outset was an absolute precondition for accepting any such resolution. The right hon. Gentleman will recall that the United States voted against the resolution, as did the United Kingdom. Therefore, we had that support. Japan voted the other way—I think on the basis that she hoped that Argentina would withdraw, but, of course, that has not yet occurred. The important reason for our action was that the linkage between the ceasefire and withdrawal was not explicit and clear in the way that we believe it has to be if an agreement of that kind is to be successful.

Mr. Healey

Is it not true that, in trying to explain the shambles of the American voting at the Security Council, Mr. Haig made it clear this week that he believed the resolution on which America finally wished to abstain contained the seeds of a possible basis on which the Argentines might have withdrawn? Five days have now passed. Why have the Government not used those five days to secure agreement in the Security Council on a resolution which moved the other 5 per cent. towards being something which would be wholly satisfactory to all sides?

Mr. Pym

We have had over two months now of trying to negotiate through other people and intermediaries with the Argentine Government, and we have always landed in the same position, and we certainly should have done so had the resolution to which the right hon. Gentleman referred come to fruition, Frankly, the answer is for the Argentines to withdraw. A ceasefire and withdrawal could be arranged immediately. The Argentines show no sign of doing that at the moment. The issue is as simple as that. To try to cause delay at this time and for us to allow ourselves to get bogged down in further rounds of negotiation, which no doubt would end as the previous efforts did, would not be a satisfactory solution, particularly when the simple act of withdrawal is all that the Argentines need to do to end hostilities.