§ 3. Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any members of the South African armed forces are currently receiving training in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. FreemanNo.
§ Mr. FlanneryI thank the hon. Gentleman for that welcome answer. Will he give an assurance that the policy that he has just stated and which was stated by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, North ( Mr. McNamara), on behalf of the Labour Government in 1976, will carry on in a most determined way?
§ Mr. FreemanI can give the hon. Gentleman that assurance. Since 1976, under successive Governments, there has been no military co-operation with and no military training for South African military personnel in this country. There is no military co-operation between the two countries.
§ Sir Antony BuckDoes my hon. Friend agree that there might be something to be said for South Africans coming here, to see how training is conducted on an entirely non-racist basis?
§ Mr. FreemanMy hon. and learned Friend makes an intriguing point. I confirm that for the past 10 years our policy has been and will continue to be one of no military co-operation between the two countries.
§ Mr. StokesDoes my hon. Friend agree that it might be an admirable idea for South African forces to be trained in this country? It is in the interests of the West and of our own nation that South Africa should have a Government friendly to the West, safeguarding the Cape route and taking care of the valuable minerals there. Surely, none of us wants a Communist Government in that part of the world.
§ Mr. FreemanI am somewhat disappointed by my hon. Friend. I repeat that our policy is and will remain one of no military co-operation between this country and the Government of South Africa.