§ 3.8 p.m.
§ LORD CHORLEY asked His Majesty's Government whether they would be prepared to invite the Swiss and Italian Governments to consider the respectful representations of the British Mountaineering Council on proposals to erect a railway in either country up the Matterhorn. The noble Lord said: My Lords, in rising to ask the Question standing in my name, I do not propose to take more than a few minutes of your time. I appreciate that this is a somewhat unusual type of Question to put to His Majesty's Government, and it might be thought that it was trespassing upon the internal arrangements of foreign countries to put a Question of this kind in relation to the building of possible railways in foreign countries. I can assure your Lordships that nothing is further from my mind. What I am anxious to do is to draw attention to the widespread anxiety among tens of thousands of British people who spend their holidays among the magnificent Alpine scenery of Switzerland and Italy, and to whom the notion of railways going up the Matterhorn from both sides has come as a terrible blow.
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The Matterhorn, as probably your Lordships know, has the reputation
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of being the most beautiful mountain in the world. Whether that is true or not, it is certainly the most beautiful that the average person has a chance of seeing. Everyone who has had that opportunity must have caught his breath at the first sight of that superb mountain. Mountaineers, and in particular British mountaineers, are especially interested in this project, because one of our great contributions in the realm of sport and exploration was the opening up of the Alpine valleys by early Victorian and mid-Victorian mountaineers, as a result of which the inhabitants of those valleys have undoubtedly, materially, gained a very great deal. British mountaineers are particularly upset at the idea that this lovely mountain, a mountain which is associated with the exploits of Edward Whymper and one of the most exciting pieces of mountain exploration in the whole history of Alpine adventure, should be liable to possible desecration in this way. All the British home mountaineering clubs are represented in the British Mountaineering Council, who have discussed this matter and are particularly anxious to make representations to the Governments of the countries which are concerned in this possible project. It is for that reason that I have put down this Question. It is unnecessary for me to say anything more in explanation, I therefore beg to ask His Majesty's Government
whether they would he prepared to invite the Swiss and Italian Governments to consider the respectful representations of the British Mountaineering Council on proposals to erect a railway in either country up the Matterhorn.
§ 3.11 p.m.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords, as I understand the position, the scheme is to build a funicular railway up the Matterhorn, partly in Swiss and partly in Italian territory. This has been proposed by an Italo-Swiss combine. According to my information, the scheme is still very indefinite and neither of the Governments of the two countries to which I have referred have, so far as I know, committed themselves in favour of the proposal. As my noble friend has indicated, it is true that many people interested in mountaineering, especially in the United Kingdom, are opposed to the scheme, and I can understand the views which they hold. But, 21 on the other hand, it may be that the promoters of tourist trade take a quite different view and are strongly in favour of the proposal.
I did not gather from the speech of my noble friend that the British Mountaineering Council have yet made representations to either of the two Governments: nor have they made any representations to His Majesty's Government. It may be—and, here again, I was not clear from what my noble friend said—that they intend, in due course, to make representations to the Italian and Swiss Governments. But, even so, I must point out that whether or not the proposed scheme is to be proceeded with is entirely a domestic matter for the Swiss and Italian Governments. Whilst it may be quite proper for organisations which represent the interests of the mountaineers to make representations to the two Governments, it is not a matter in which His Majesty's Government have any standing whatsoever. Therefore, I am afraid that I must say to my noble friend that the Government would not be able to take any diplomatic action in support of representations, either in favour of or against the proposal.
§ LORD CHORLEYMy Lords, I was afraid that the noble Lord would answer in the way that he has. His reply is not unsympathetic, however, and to that extent I am obliged to him.