HC Deb 23 March 1983 vol 39 cc852-3
8. Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the Gleneagles agreement.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Neil Macfarlane)

I receive many differing representations on this subject.

Mr. Canavan

Will the Minister investigate breaches of the Gleneagles agreement such as the recent case when the Transkei rugby team came here, with special facilities laid on for it by the British consulate in Cape Town, yet he, the Minister responsible for sport, apparently did not know that the team was here until after it had arrived? Will he also investigate the South African slush fund designed to smash the Gleneagles agreement, such as the so-called "Freedom in Sport" campaign, which is run by Right-wing extremists such as the Tory hon. Member for Luton, West (Mr. Carlisle)?

Mr. Macfarlane

I have no locus to intervene or investigate those organisations. The visit by the Transkei rugby team was not a visit of a representative team. It could not be, because Her Majesty's Government do not recognise Transkei, or any of the South African so-called homelands, as independent. The hon. Gentleman must understand that, as there is no provision in the United Kingdom visa regulations to deny visas merely because the applicants wish to take part in sport, we have no locus to prevent that taking place.

Mr. Higgins

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Government are opposed to racial discrimination in sport and that anyone considering sending a representative team to South Africa should take into account the possible repercussions on sports other than their own?

Mr. Macfarlane

I endorse my right hon. Friend's observations and echo everything that he said. I repeat to the House our complete commitment to the Commonwealth declaration on apartheid in sport in 1977. We stand by our commitments, made at the Lusaka and Melbourne Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings, that multi-racial sport is supreme.

Mr. Denis Howell

In view of the assessment that I have made that in the past year South African sources have either paid out or have on offer to sportsmen, mostly British, a sum of between £5 million and £6 million for the purpose of undermining and severely damaging British sporting interests, what assessment has the Minister been able to make of the dangers that this is providing to the Edinburgh Commonwealth games next time round, to the future of international test cricket and to other major international sporting events, which are now seriously threatened by this financial seduction?

Mr. Macfarlane

I shall not comment on the figure that the right hon. Gentleman has quoted. I can only hope that everyone will recognise the potential seriousness of what is happening and the impact that it could have on our relationships elsewhere. I simply hope that all governing bodies will draw their players' attention to the need to reject these short-term financial inducements. They do lasting damage to the reputations of governing bodies. The funds are directed towards one objective—to disrupt our highly successful Commonwealth sporting links.

Mr. John Carlisle

Is my hon. Friend so wedded to the Gleneagles agreement that he is willing to submit to the blackmail and bullying to which he is now being subjected by black African countries? Will he now come clean and admit that the conditions under the Gleneagles agreement by which South Africa was accused of organising sport on the basis of race, colour and ethnic origin, do not exist in that country?

Mr. Flannery

Nonsense.

Mr. Carlisle

Therefore, for the sake of the freedom of the individual and the freedom of sport, the agreement should now be abandoned.

Mr. Flannery

If they did not exist the hon. Gentleman would not go there.

Mr. Macfarlane

The Gleneagles agreement, or the Commonwealth declaration on apartheid in sport, were discussed at the Melbourne conference. It was made quite clear by all Heads of Government at that meeting, just 18 months ago, that we continue to uphold the principles of that declaration.

Mr. Roy Hughes

I appreciate that we live in a free society, but is not the way in which South African officials undermine our major sporting organisations and corrupt our leading sportsmen by financial and other inducements insidious? Should not the Government make it clear to those officials that the way in which to obtain full participation in international sport is to insist that their Government get rid of this despicable apartheid system?

Mr. Macfarlane

Everyone has his own views about what may or may not be done. The hon. Gentleman must understand my locus on this subject. That is why I have urged governing bodies to take an opportunity to talk to their players to ensure that they do not go for the offered short-term financial inducements. Present circumstances are fraught with risk and danger.

Mr. Jim Spicer

Does my hon. Friend agree that as genuine efforts have been made by members of all races in South Africa to make sport multiracial, many South Africans are now saying, "Yes, we want stick but we should also occasionally like a little bit of carrot when we do what is right"? Is it not time that we occasionally saw some carrot?

Mr. Macfarlane

I note what my hon. Friend said. Perhaps these issues will be discussed at some future date. I return to the decision in Melbourne in September 1981 to uphold the principles of the declaration.