§ 2.45 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to ask a Question of which I have given Private Notice—namely, to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on the seizure by the Cuban Government of the oil refineries in which British owners are concerned.
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)My Lords, the refinery of the Shell Company of Cuba was taken over by the Cuban Government on July 1. For over a year the Shell Company had continued to import crude oil without being allowed to remit payments to the suppliers. The situation was further aggravated by insistence that permission for remittances, both outstanding and future, should be conditional upon accepting and refining 300,000 tons of Russian crude oil during the second half of 1960. Acceptance of these terms would have displaced the company's supplies from its normal sources in Venezuela. The company decided that it was commercially impossible to continue operations in these Circumstances.
On July 4 Her Majesty's Ambassador in Havana delivered a strong protest to the, Cuban Government calling attention to this situation and requesting that the operation of the company should be restored to a normal footing. So far as I am aware, public order is at present being maintained in Cuba, and there is no immediate threat to the safety of British lives and other property.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Marquess for his Answer. I am not going to say very much with regard to what is obviously a delicate and difficult situation. All I ask is that, in view of the possible dangers that might arise, the Government should treat this as a matter in which they should continuously keep Parliament informed, as I am sure they will, so that we may understand what is going on.
LORD REAMy Lords, may I ask whether Her Majesty's Government are keeping in close touch in this matter with the Commonwealth Governments?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government are keeping in touch with all other Governments concerned in this matter.
§ LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETHMy Lords, may I ask whether any reply has been received to the representations which Her Majesty's Ambassador made on behalf of the Government? Secondly, are we to take it that the policy urged by the Conservative Opposition in another place in the case of the seizure of the oil installations at Abadan—namely, that force, even war, should be engaged in—is going to be carried out by the Government?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, in regard to the first of the noble Lord's questions, so far as I am aware no reply has been received. As regards the noble Lord's second question, as the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition mentioned, this is a delicate matter and I do not wish to make it more delicate by making any observations in reply to the noble Lord's question.