§ 3.46 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, the House would, I think, wish me to repeat in your Lordships' House a statement which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has just made in answer to a Private Notice Question in another place. The statement is as follows:
"The House will know that the Prime Minister of South Africa yesterday decided to withdraw his application for the Union of South Africa to remain a member of the Commonwealth after his country becomes a Republic on 31st May next. Until then South Africa will remain a mem- 964 ber of the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister of South Africa will, therefore, continue to take part in the deliberations of the present Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.
"I am sure I speak for many of us on both sides of the House when I express our deep regret that the Commonwealth ties with South Africa, which have endured for 50 years, are shortly to be severed, and our regret also for the circumstances which have made this unavoidable. Remembering that the Commonwealth is an association of peoples of all races, colours and creeds, we must hope that, in the years to come, it will be possible for South Africa once more to play her part in the Commonwealth.
"The Prime Minister of South Africa has said that he hopes to cooperate in all possible ways with all those members of the Commonwealth who are willing to maintain good relations with South Africa. He has also said that South Africa will remain a member of the sterling area. We, for our part, welcome these statements and intend to co-operate fully in matters of common interest.
"The House will wish to debate the various implications of the situation with which we are now faced. No doubt arrangements can be made through the usual channels for a debate next week."
My Lords, my right honourable friend added:
"The House will appreciate that I do not feel free to go into further details until the Conference is over and the final communiqué has been agreed.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble and learned Viscount for the statement he has just made. We all have, of course, a sense of the tremendous importance of this decision which the South African Prime Minister has reached. We welcome the terms of the Prime Minister's statement. I hope we shall not indulge in any controversy at this moment, if we are able to arrange a debate at an early date through the usual channels in this House as well as in another place. I would confine myself to saying that I have a great deal of sympathy with the basis of the argument 965 used in The Times leader of to-day, but I think we ought to leave details, on which all of us have views, some of them controversial, until we come to the debate. In the meantime, I hope that we shall restrain ourselves from any lengthy comment to-day.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I would respectfully thank the noble Viscount for what he has said. I will certainly seek to arrange a debate through the usual channels.
LORD FRASER OF LON SDALEMy Lords, I appreciate the desirability of not saying anything in any quarter which could harm the good relationship which might arise out of further discussions. Nevertheless, there are two matters on which some assurance, however conditional, would be of great value, and therefore I should like to ask my noble friend two questions. One is: if the South African Government were found willing to continue the commercial relationship and defence arrangements, which have hitherto proved of such great value to both countries, would Her Majesty's Government be willing to discuss these matters with sympathy and with the object of coming to some arrangement in principle? The other question is whether Her Majesty's Government will do everything in their power to maintain the status quo of Basutoland, a British Colony in the middle of South Africa, and its integrity, both politically and commercially.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I should like to answer, if I may, each question separately, otherwise I fear I may transgress more than I should. As regards the first part of my noble friend's question, I think he will have noticed that my right honourable friend said in his statement that we should do all in our power to continue the economic and other ties with South Africa; and I think that, by implication, that answers his question. As regards the second part, the withdrawal of South Africa from the Commonwealth will have no constitutional effects on the relationship between the High Commission Territories and the United Kingdom, nor will the withdrawal of South Africa affect our responsibilities and obligations towards these Territories, which have repeatedly been made clear.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend the Leader of the House if the debate for which the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition has asked will be in sufficiently wide terms to enable us to discuss other questions of internal Commonwealth interest—for example, the effective colour bar that exists both in Australia and Canada and the position of Ghana? Because it is not fair to South Africa to discuss only the situation in South Africa. I hope that the debate will be on wide lines.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, I am sure that what my noble friend says will be noted, but I think that the terms of the debate must be the subject of discussion through the usual channels.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, that would not, of course, prevent any noble Lord from putting down a Motion to resolve that the whole question be taken into consideration.
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, nothing can prevent my noble friend from putting down a Motion, and I would not attempt to do so.