§ 2.46 p.m.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister of the Rhodesian Federation has reported an approach from an undisclosed source favouring a political association between the Katanga Province of the Belgian Congo and the Rhodesian Federation, and what the constitutional position would be in such a matter; further what answer has been made to the protest of the Belgian Government against the Prime Minister's reported statement.]
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)My Lords, the Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland has not informed Her Majesty's Government of any such approach. The political association of any other territory with the Federation would require the approval of Her Majesty's Government and legislation in the United Kingdom. The Belgian Ambassador inquired on March 4 904 about Sir Roy Welensky's alleged statement, and the Foreign Secretary told him that no such suggestion had been received by Her Majesty's Government.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, has the noble Viscount seen the confirmation of this statement, when Sir Roy Welensky said that the communication that he had received from this undisclosed source was for a political association which would involve the secession of Katanga from the Congo Republic?
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I think I read the Press reports, if that is what the noble Viscount is referring to.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, does the noble Viscount really think, in an instance of this kind, which has caused a visit of the Belgian Ambassador to the Foreign Office, that he can ride off by saying that this is merely something in an inconsiderable paper?
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I never said anything of the kind. The noble Viscount asked me whether I had heard of a certain statement and I replied that I had.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEThen when the Ambassador came to the Foreign Office what did he talk about, if it was not this statement?
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, if the noble Viscount had listened to my original Answer—
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAM—he would have seen exactly what the Ambassador said and exactly what was said to him in reply.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, perhaps the noble Viscount will refresh my memory. He said the Government had no information about this statement by the Prime Minister of the Federation, and then he will not say whether the Ambassador protested against the statement, which in fact he did.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, may I read out my original Answer, as either the noble Viscount was not listening to it or did not hear it: "The Belgian Ambassador inquired on March 4 about Sir Roy Welensky's alleged 905 statement and the Foreign Secretary told him that no such suggestion had been received by Her Majesty's Government." I hope it has now been heard quite plainly.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, the suggestion has been bruited abroad, and caused great disturbance both in Belgium and in the Belgian Congo. If the Government have not heard about it, it only shows, as in many matters, that they are completely out of touch with public opinion.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I told your Lordships that I had read the Press reports, which I understand to be the sole source of the noble Viscount's information.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I suppose I may ask the noble Viscount this question, as this story has raised rather important issues. Am I to take it that the Government will be communicating their views upon the position, as they get all the facts, to Sir Roy Welensky?
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, the noble Viscount can take it, of course, that there is constant communication between Her Majesty's Government and Governments of different parts of the Commonwealth.