HL Deb 16 February 1960 vol 221 cc24-30

3.35 p.m.

THE EARL OF HOME

My Lords, as I said earlier, the statement made by the right honourable gentleman the Prime Minister to another place is of a very personal kind, and I think it is better that I should make it here in his words. It is as follows:

"Soon after I became Prime Minister I determined, if it were at all possible, to make visits during my period of office to all the independent countries of the Commonwealth. In the early weeks of 1958 I visited five of the individual Commonwealth countries—Asia and Australasia—India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Australia and New Zealand. I also went to Singapore; but, unfortunately, I was not able to include Malaya in that tour.

"I had hoped to complete my Commonwealth travels in 1959 but, in the circumstances which arose, and after careful thought, I decided to postpone the rest of my Commonwealth tour and to undertake instead a visit to Moscow. I am happy to say that this decision was supported by the Governments of all the Commonwealth countries.

"In the concluding months of last year arrangements were made by which I could fulfil my ambition of completing my Commonwealth journeys by a tour of Africa. As a result I recently visited four countries of Africa which have attained, or are well advanced towards, independent membership of the Commonwealth—Ghana, Nigeria, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and the Union of South Africa. I am most grateful to the Governments of all those countries, who invited me to visit them and made such admirable arrangements for my tour.

"My purpose in these visits has never been to negotiate or to settle any particular problems which there might be between the United Kingdom Government and the other Government concerned. Matters of that kind are better left to the normal channels of communication and to the Ministers who have special responsibility for them. My idea was that the visits of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers to London—which we welcome so much when they take place, which is at intervals of some eighteen months or two years—excellent as they are from our point of view, ought not to remain what I have called a one-way traffic'. I felt that the presence, even for a few weeks, of a British Prime Minister in office, would be both a symbol of the links which bind the Commonwealth and a practical method of holding informal discussions on broad general issues such as are appropriate on a visit of this kind. I need hardly add that it makes my work in London much easier, and I think more fruitful, if I have some personal impression of the character of these countries, their problems and their ambitions. In addition, one is able to have personal discussions in their own homes with the Prime Ministers and other Ministers concerned.

"I have now visited all the independent countries of the Commonwealth with the exception of Malaya. I have nearly completed the task I set myself on assuming office. I would certainly not overestimate the value of these visits. Still less would I claim that in a few days or weeks I have gained any expert knowledge of the problems of each country. Nevertheless, I hope that these journeys will have at least demonstrated the faith of Her Majesty's Government and people in the United Kingdom in the value of the Commonwealth as one of the greatest forces for peace and progress in the world to-day."

My Lords, the right honourable gentleman the Prime Minister then went on to say that there were a number of Questions on the Order Paper in another place and that he would therefore confine himself to some general comments. He continued:

"The countries in Africa which I visited represented almost every different facet of the African problem. In Ghana, where I was most hospitably entertained by the Governor-General and the Prime Minister, I had the opportunity of seeing the great economic, social and political progress which is the culmination of many centuries of contact with the West. Europeans are playing a great rôle in the economic development and progress of this independent African country. I believe they will continue to do so in the future. For I felt a real sense of friendship for the British people, and a full understanding of the debt which Ghana owes to them.

"In Nigeria I was fortunate enough to be able to address the Assembly on an historic date. This was the first meeting of the Parliament elected under the agreement reached at a series of conferences presided over by my right honourable friend the Member for Mid-Bedfordshire, to whom many tributes were paid. This historic meeting which I had the privilege to address represented the last stage in the country's progress to independence, which will be finally achieved in October this year. Nigeria is an immense country. In area it is four times the size of the United Kingdom. In population it is the largest single country in Africa and the fourth largest in the Commonwealth. It has a great future before it. The recent discovery of oil and the development of agriculture should give it a sound economic basis. I hope and believe that the federal structure which has been devised will enable the three Regions to work together in the development of a truly national spirit.

"In the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland I was able to have talks with the Prime Minister of the Federation and his Cabinet, with the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia and his Ministers, with the Governor of Northern Rhodesia and his Council, and also with the Governor of Nyasaland and his advisers. I was also able to see representatives of a large number of political and other groups and to form at least some picture of the difficult problems, as well as the impressive prospects, of this immense territory. At the moment when my noble friend Lord Monckton and his colleagues are just about to start work I do not think the House would wish me to comment upon the constitutional problems except to say this. We all know that, in the course of the next year, important decisions must be taken. The final responsibility lies, of course, with the Governments. But they will, I am sure, be well served by the preparatory work which is to be undertaken by the Commission. We shall come to the final conference well prepared. Meanwhile I must say that everything I saw confirmed my confidence in the future. Much progress has been made in recent years and great possibilities for future development lie ahead. The formal opening of the Kariba Dam by the Queen Mother this May will be an impressive symbol of what has been done and what may be achieved in the future.

"In the Union of South Africa I had only a few days to make a tour covering a very large area but I was able to see a little both of the mining and of the various industrial developments, and to have long and intimate discussions with the Prime Minister—who kindly entertained me in his own house at Cape Town. The Union of South Africa is about to celebrate the fiftieth year since its foundation. It should not be forgotten that it came into being as a result of a decision of the British Parliament in 1910 in an attempt to build a single nation after the long struggles between the Afrikaaners and the British.

"While I was in South Africa I was able to pay visits to each of the three High Commission territories— Bechuanaland, Swaziland and Basutoland. The visits, however short, were a demonstration of the interest shown by the people of the United Kingdom in the progress and welfare of these Territories.

"Here then was contrast; I began with Ghana, which became independent some two years ago, and I ended with the Union, which became independent fifty years ago—both by decisions of the British Parliament. I began with a purely African country where there has never been and never can be a European resident population. I ended with a country where, as well as the large African population, there are three million Europeans, many of them descended from ancestors who entered the country more than 300 years ago. In between these two we have the Federation—containing in Southern Rhodesia a large European population and smaller European communities in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. They are citizens of these countries and cannot be citizens of any other country, for their homes are there. All these varying situations, as well as the immense distances and size of these territories, convince me more than ever that it would be wrong to try to apply a single and simple solution to a multiform and complex problem.

"In a speech of some length in Salisbury I tried to state the point of view of the United Kingdom Government on certain aspects of policy for which the British Government and Parliament have varying degrees of responsibility. In Cape Town, where the Prime Minister kindly invited me to address the Assembly and the Senate, I tried to set out courteously, but I hope clearly, the broad British point of view on the handling of these problems. Of course I made it clear that in the Union we had no direct responsibility beyond that which every man of good will has towards his neighbours in trying to understand their problems. I made it clear also how deeply we treasure and value the Commonwealth connection and how great I believe the contribution of the Union can and will be towards the strength of the Commonwealth.

"Perhaps, Sir, I might make two final observations. In the first place I am more and more impressed by the need and duty of the people of the United Kingdom so to manage their economic affairs as to be able to make increasing contributions, from genuine savings and a favourable balance of trade, to the economic welfare of the less developed countries of the Commonwealth. The more we are able to improve our position at home the more we shall be able to follow the policy of the good neighbour overseas.

"The second is this. We have to face, in this coming year, the next stage in attempting to reach some settlement, whether permanent or temporary, of the differences between Soviet Russia and the Western Powers. I feel more than ever convinced as a result of this journey, as well as my previous Commonwealth journeys, that the contribution which the United Kingdom Government may be able to make towards this—the supreme question which faces the world to-day—can be enhanced by the sense of comradeship and fellowship which we have in the Commonwealth. I am very glad to think that we shall have an opportunity of consulting with the other Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London in the week preceding the Summit Conference."

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, we are very much obliged to the noble Earl the Leader of the House for giving us this statement by the Prime Minister.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House whether the Prime Minister could extend his statement by giving us some particulars as to any contact he had with those in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland who are in captivity and those in the Union of South Africa who have no franchise?

THE EARL OF HOME

No, my Lords, I think not, in connection with this statement. I have no doubt that in both Houses of Parliament during the coming year there will be many debates on different aspects of the African problem, and I think that would be the time for the Prime Minister to tell us of his experience.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, I do not know whether the right honourable gentleman and the noble Earl think it is sufficient to speak about "different aspects of the African problem" in view of the grave and fundamental issues which I have mentioned.

THE EARL OF HOME

There are different aspects, and for the present and for to-day the Prime Minister has described the African scene in that way. We can take the different aspects as they come and as they will arise, I have no doubt, on many occasions during the coming months, and debate them.

LORD REA

My Lords, in thanking the noble Earl, may I add that we welcome the Prime Minister back to this country after his successful tour?