§ 7. Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the Government's relationship with Grenada.
§ Mr. WhitneyOur views on recent events in Grenada have been set out fully in my right hon. and learned Friend's statements of 24 and 25 October, in the debates in the House on 26 October and 3 November and by my noble Friend the Minister of State in the debate in another place on 1 November.
§ Mr. MacKayBearing in mind the history of the tragic oppression of party democracy in Grenada since it was given independence, does my hon. Friend agree that the best role for the British Government in the difficult times ahead for that island is to encourage a return to genuine democracy and genuine elections and that we should do all we can to help those occur?
§ Mr. WhitneyI am happy to agree with my hon. Friend. We stand ready to help the internal Administration as it emerges, and hope that we can offer aid. We shall certainly consider any recommendations on the supervision of elections, police advice, training and any other help.
§ Mr. PavittWhen considering Grenada, will the Minister give full weight to our grave concern that the situation there is akin to a small war in which the two super-powers are playing a game of chess, in which one could take Grenada and the other Afghanistan? If this situation continues, we shall have precisely the situation as happened in 1962, when the special relationship with Prime Minister Macmillan was proved not to exist at all.
§ Mr. WhitneyThis is not a game between two super-powers. I remind the hon. Gentleman that the deep concern of the other eastern Caribbean states was also a factor. It is now important that all of us who are in any position to help should do so, so that we can restore democracy and peace to Grenada.
§ Mr. Ian LloydMy hon. Friend has referred to various formal statements by the Government up to 3 November. Have the Government received, and will he comment on, some of the remarkable documents that have been published by the United States Government in evidence to the United States Congress? I refer particularly to one on 8 November, which I received this morning, which discloses an eight-page list of Soviet weaponry supplied to Cuba under a secret agreement reached at Managua.
§ Mr. WhitneyAs I have not seen the document, I am sure that my hon. Friend will understand that it is difficult for me to comment. There is now a great deal for all of us to discover about what was going on in Grenada in recent times.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonWith hindsight, does not my hon. Friend agree that it was wrong for the Government 294 to sit on the fence over the intervention by the United States and the six eastern Caribbean countries? Is it not clear that the United States acted in the nick of time? Does not the number of armed, trained Cuban military personnel in Grenada at the time clearly show that they were there for a different purpose than the building of an airport? Furthermore, does not the amount of sophisticated arms indicate that Grenada was being turned into a colony of the Soviet Union for the subversion of Central and South America?
§ Mr. WhitneyMy hon. Friend's characterisation of the Government's position is unfair and I hope that on reflection he will agree. Our position was clear and was in line with that of other Governments in the Caribbean. We should now concentrate on building a democratic Grenada for the future.
§ Mr. Allan RobertsDoes the Minister accept that our relationships with Grenada cannot be normalised until the American troops withdraw from that Commonwealth country? Will he take action to require the American troops to withdraw before Congress invokes the War Powers Act to force them to withdraw? Does he also agree that, since the American invasion of Grenada, Ronald Reagan is the first United States President to be engaged in war activities in four places and on three continents—in Chad, Central America—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman has continued long enough.
§ Mr. Robertsrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman has asked a long supplementary question and must therefore resume his seat.
§ Mr. Robertsrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder.
§ Mr. WhitneyI suggest that the hon. Gentleman considers the fact that it is now the duty of the Governor General and the interim Administration which emerges to deal with the subjects he has raised, including the departure of the American troops. I understand that the United States Government, the other Caribbean Governments and the Governor General share our concern that there should be a speedy re-establishment of freedom and stability in Grenada. I hope that the hon. Gentleman also agrees.
§ Mr. HealeyIn considering American statements, will the hon. Gentleman recognise the extent to which they have contradicted themselves in the last few days, particularly on the discovery of mass graves and the number of Cubans on the island? Does he agree that if Grenada is to achieve representative democracy, which we all wish, it is important that the American troops should first withdraw? If foreign troops are required to maintain law and order in the interim, should they not be provided by countries that have not already declared an interest in the outcome of any possible elections? Therefore, is it not important that a Commonwealth force should be allowed to participate?
§ Mr. WhitneyGiven the right hon. Gentleman's military experience, of which we heard the other day, he will understand that the fog of war gives rise to a number of conflicting statements, and all is not clear about what 295 has happened in Grenada in recent days and weeks. However, it is clear that a constitutional Administration can now be established in Grenada. The Governor General is working on that, as are many others, and the Governor General has made it clear that he will invite the overseas troops to leave as soon as he considers that the circumstances are acceptable.
§ Mr. SpeakerQuestion No. 8.
§ Mr. Healeyrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. In fairness, I have already called another question.