§ 3.45 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, I am glad to have an opportunity, before the House rises for the Whitsun recess, of making a short statement on the Cyprus negotiations similar to that being made in another place by my right honourable friend. Your Lordships will have seen Press reports according to which Archbishop Makarios considers that the remaining issues could be quickly settled. I am sure that this is right, and I hope, therefore, that the Archbishop will soon see his way to resume discussions with my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. By the Archbishop's wish, there have been no formal meetings between the leaders of the delegations for some little time. I feel confident that the points which are still causing difficulty can in practice be resolved by discussion.
The Archbishop has, in his public statement, made known the points of difference. Your Lordships will not expect me to say now what we shall say to the Cypriot leaders if, as I hope, confidential negotiations are very shortly resumed. I can say that I do not think that there is much between us on the delimitation of the boundaries of the sovereign base areas. We have done our utmost to meet Cypriot wishes on Cypriot participation in the administration of those areas, within the framework of British sovereignty. It is common ground that the areas to be retained have to serve a military purpose; military 328 considerations must therefore be given full weight, as regards both the boundaries and the administration.
On the long-term view of the Base Areas, it is difficult to foresee the circumstances in which we might want to relinquish them. This is a hypothetical situation to which many factors might apply. At present we are seeking a settlement, in which the retention of Base Areas under British sovereignty is one of the principal elements. But we recognise that the Cypriots have an interest in this matter and we shall be glad to discuss it with them.
The other main outstanding question is financial aid. On this, our offer of £10 million over five years is I think generous. We have approached these negotiations throughout in a spirit of accommodation and good will. We are sure that if the outstanding questions are tackled together in that same spirit, an agreement can very soon be reached, and for our part, we are very anxious to see such agreement.
§ 3.48 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Earl for giving us this statement. I feel sure that he is fully aware that we have been concerned, I think in all parts of the House, about the protracted period which has elapsed in regard to these discussions. The House at large is anxious for a good and peaceable settlement to be arrived at, and I think that it has been pretty considerate and has not tended to intervene in any way in these negotiations. But it is getting a little difficult now, unless some better progress can be made than the Archbishop seems to me to be willing to make in his public statement. I hope that the noble Earl has something upon which to go when he says that he thinks that these discussions can now be again opened for negotiation, and something obtained.
The other point about the situation that probably has occurred to many Members of your Lordships' House is that it is important to get a settlement in view of the disturbed situation in Turkey. It would be quite wrong to go into that in detail at this moment, but we greatly hope that some pressure will be brought by the Government to get negotiations opened in time. The reference to the 329 military consideration in the statement to which we have just listened makes one feel that something is being said on the other side as to requirements that the Cypriots want to lay down which might prejudice the security of our military arrangements. We should always be concerned that any arrangements we make give proper security. I hope we shall have no quibbling about small details.
LORD REAMy Lords, I believe the whole House will endorse what has been said by the noble Viscount, Lord Alexander of Hillsborough. We are glad to have a statement at what seems to some of us rather long last; and a the same time we would offer our best wishes that the negotiations will go as the noble Earl would wish. There was one sentence in the statement which, if I heard it aright, and without quibbling about details, struck me as somewhat surprising:
The Government realise that the Cypriots have an interest in this matter.That, of course, is some advance from a few years ago when the Government indicated that the Cypriots had no interest in the matter, and I hope that that principle will not be forgotten in future.
THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURYMy Lords, might I, for quite different reasons, thank the noble Earl the Minister very much for his statement? My interest in Cyprus is not at all political. My sole interest is in the fact that in Cyprus the leading political figure happens to be the head of a Church with which we are in very friendly relations. That does not mean that I approve of anything and everything he does, but it is a fact that I, on my part, wish to keep and preserve to the utmost of my power friendly relations with the Cypriot Church and its Archbishop. Because of my dilemma I am extremely grateful for the fact that there has been a statement which perhaps leads us to hope that a fresh phase may ensue.
§ THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, I should like to take this opportunity of saying that we are very grateful for, and recognise, the forbearance of the House over these last months. I know well how concerned your Lordships have been over the Cyprus negotiations, and 330 it has certainly been a help not to be pressed on difficult questions at a time like this. On the point made by the noble Viscount about the military considerations, I may say that he can rest assured that, as I have said in the statement, in any negotiations, while military considerations, in the circumstances, in relation to base arrangements, must be the predominant issue, we are not going to be difficult on details. I believe that the record of what we have said and done so far is proof of that.
On the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Rea, I would say that clearly after, if not before, the London Agreement, when the future—that is, independence—was charted, it was made quite clear that the Cypriots have an interest and a stake in this and that there was no new principle involved in this connection arising from the London and Zurich Agreements. I was very grateful for the words of the most reverend Primate. I know only too well, as many of your Lordships do, the interest he has had and the help he has been in this question, which, as he has pointed out, concerns another Church whose Archbishop is the leading figure in the negotiations.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, while recognising the patience and forbearance of Her Majesty's Government in the negotiations over Cyprus, may I ask if they will take into consideration the question of whether there is any need of a base in Cyprus in the evolving circumstances, and whether it would not be sufficient to have merely a staging post; and whether in fact, a base would be tenable in the face of Cypriot opposition? Secondly, may I ask him whether he is in a position to inform the House as to the effect, if any, of the recent events in Turkey on the situation in Cyprus?
§ THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, of course we have taken into consideration the question of the need for a base there, not only for ourselves but for our friends in relation to our Alliances and so on; and it is quite clear to us that, in the present circumstances and situation, that is both necessary and right. I do not think it is appropriate for me to comment on the Turkish situation except to say that we have already heard that in relation to this question it means no change.