Lords Sitting of 25 October 1962

Preamble
Reassembling for Public Business, after the Summer Recess, the House met at eleven of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Exeter

CUBA
11.5 a.m.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME): My Lords, with the permission of the House, I should like to repeat a statement which is being made by the Prime Minister in another place, and I will say it in his own words.
"On Monday, October 22, President Kennedy, in a personal message and through the United States Ambassador in London, made clear to me his deep concern about the Soviet development of Cuba as a formidable base for offensive ballistic missiles. It is, of course, true that the United States authorities had known for some time of the location of a number of surface-to-air missile sites in Cuba: but these missiles, even though carrying nuclear warheads, may be regarded as of a defensive nature.
"Very recently, however, a number of medium range ballistic—or ground-to-ground—missile sites have been definitely identified in Cuba. Reports from all American intelligence sources confirm that at least 30 missiles are already present in Cuba. Such missiles, with their range of over a thousand miles, could reach a large area of the United States, including Washington and nearly the whole of Central America and the Caribbean, including the Panama Canal. In addition, sites for intermediate range ballistic missiles with an operational range of 2,200 nautical miles have been identified. Further sites for both types of missiles are being constructed. All these missiles are designed to carry, and must be presumed to carry, nuclear bombs. In addition, Russia has supplied Cuba with IL 28 aircraft, of which over twenty have been
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definitely identified. These bombers are of course offensive and not defensive weapons.
"Neither the Soviet Union nor the Cuban Government appear to have denied these facts. In addition it is believed that there are at least 5,000 Soviet military technicians already on the island. These facts, which are fully established on the basis of the evidence provided, serious though they are in themselves, took on a more sinister character because of the previous history of this affair. The House may recall that, on September 4 and 14, President Kennedy issued solemn warnings about the build-up of offensive weapons in Cuba and that, on September 11, the Official Soviet News Agency, Tass, said, and I quote:
'the armaments and military equipment sent to Cuba are designed exclusively for defensive purposes '
and that
'there is no need for the Soviet Union to shift its weapons…for a retaliatory blow to any other country, for instance, Cuba.'
"That amounted to an official disclaimer by the Soviet Government. In addition, as recently as October 18, Mr. Gromyko, the Soviet Foreign Minister, explicitly speaking on the instructions of his Government, assured President Kennedy in person that Soviet assistance to Cuba was of a purely defensive character. At that very moment, circumstantial evidence to the contrary was accumulating.
"In view of the President's pledge that the United States would take measures to oppose the creation of offensive military power in Cuba, the Russian action, contrary to their categorical assurances, to develop this power can only be regarded as a deliberate adventure designed to test the ability and determination of the United States. The President no doubt formed the view, and in my judgment rightly, that to have accepted this would throw doubt on America's pledges in all parts of the world and expose the entire free world to a new series of perils.
"The House is well aware of the action so far taken by the President of the United States in this situation, both in the area of Cuba itself and in the Security Council of the United Nations. As regards the area of Cuba,

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the measures announced in the President's proclamation are designed to meet a situation that is without precedent. Moreover, it cannot be said that these measures are extreme; indeed, they are studiously moderate in that the President has only declared certain limited types of war material, not even all armaments, to be prohibited. The armaments specified are: surface-to-surface missiles, bomber aircraft, bombs, air-to-surface rockets, and guided missiles, together with their warheads and equipment. None of the categories specified in the President's proclamation could honestly be described as defensive.
"In the Security Council, the United States representative has made a strong appeal for a resolution which calls for the dismantling and withdrawal from Cuba of all nuclear missiles and offensive weapons and for international supervision of this process by a United Nations Observer Corps. The resolution also urgently recommends that the United States and the Soviet Union should confer promptly on measures to remove the existing threat to the security of the Western Hemisphere and the peace of the world, and to report thereon to the Security Council.
"As the House knows, Sir Patrick Dean, speaking on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, gave his support to this resolution. I understand that the discussion in the Security Council has been adjourned until today.
"Meanwhile, as the House will have heard, the Acting Secretary-General, U Thant, has addressed a message in identical terms to President Kennedy and Chairman Khrushchev. He has also sent, I am informed, a message to the Cuban Government. U Thant's proposal is that there should be a voluntary suspension on behalf of the Russians of all arms shipments to Cuba, and at the same time a suspension of the quarantine measures involving the search of ships. His appeal to the Cuban Government adds the suggestion that the construction and development of the military facilities and installations should toe suspended, all these measures to last for a period of
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two to three weeks in order to give time for the parties concerned to meet and discuss with a view to finding a peaceful solution of the problem.
"I am not yet in a position to inform the House of any replies from any of the three Governments to whom the Acting Secretary-General has addressed his messages. The British Government are of course concerned that this new threat to security should toe dealt with as rapidly as possible and will add their support to any measures genuinely leading to that end. They trust also that based upon some alleviation of the present state of tension it might be possible to move into a wider field of negotiation. Nevertheless, I think what has happened in the last few weeks must confirm our view that in these grave matters we cannot rest upon mere words and promises. These need, if they are to restore confidence, to be independently verified and confirmed."
11.16 a.m.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGH: My Lords, I am sure the House is grateful to the Foreign Secretary for at this stage, and following the example of the Prime Minister, giving us this comprehensive statement. It is as well for all of us to remember on such occasions as this how vastly important it is to choose our words. The repercussions from such a grave occurrence in international affairs might be so very serious that I am hopeful we shall all be very careful indeed. I think that in the statement the Foreign Secretary has been careful this morning not to do anything which would make the situation more immediately dangerous than otherwise would be the case.
The action which clearly seems to have been taken over recent months by the Russian Government has led to a discovery by Mr. Kennedy and his Government of facts which one can well understand would bring very grave anxiety not only to the President but to the whole of the United States population and, indeed, to many other American countries with whom the United States of America have long been in close association by treaty and practice. Therefore, whereas in some cases a good deal has been made of what has been fairly spasmodic criticism of the President's action

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by groups in this country and elsewhere, I think we must all clearly understand the gravity with which the whole of the American hemisphere would regard the increased danger to them of any aggressive act in nuclear power in that area. So it is while thinking of those facts that one looks to try to form some judgment.
And yet the whole earth must be very concerned as to what would be the position if a break came officially between these two great Powers, the United States of America and the U.S.S.R., at this time and in view of the kind of position which was claimed by the U.S.S.R. in the message of September: that there was no need for them, from their point of view, to have to put missiles of this kind into Cuba because they could cover all their own defence from the provisions which they have made from Russia itself.
I am sure that everybody is anxious that we should have such understanding created as will enable a halt to be made and restraint to be exercised and give time for an independent inquiry as to the facts which have been outlined to the world so far only by the President and his Government—facts which I have no reason to dispute at all. But the line taken in the United Nations and by a certain large and important group of neutralist countries, of having direct inspection upon the spot, is one which we can surely accept as being reasonable; and we can go on and say, as my own Party did in a statement made yesterday after a full national executive meeting, that we hope on both sides, in the interests of peace—and perhaps using words which came towards the end of the Foreign Secretary's statement this morning—to have a situation created in which we can move on from the very threatening and grave crisis we have been in this week to further, more progressive and foundational steps towards general disarmament. There may be an opportunity at this time of making greater progress in this direction than one could possibly tell.
There will, of course, be all kinds of criticisms upon this and other points at the present time. I myself would prefer to concentrate upon doing what we can as a nation, while I hope influencing our Commonwealth to do the same, to get the kind of pause and inquiry which was asked for by the Acting Secretary-
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General of the United Nations Organisation yesterday and which I gather from the Foreign Secretary is to be further discussed in the United Nations Organisation. What I am absolutely certain about is that if this goes too far in the present state of the world, there can be no adequate prophecy as to what the disaster would reach.
11.20 a.m.
LORD REA: My Lords, I should like, if I may, to agree with what the noble Viscount has said. It is early and I think it would be perhaps injudicious to try to analyse too far what has happened. Things are not yet clear, but we are clear that there has been a sad set-back and blow to our faith and confidence in what we all hoped was more idealism than has been shown to be existing. I agree with the noble Viscount that surely our duty now is to back up the peaceful negotiation in every way we possibly can through the United Nations, and to ascertain that there should in future, if possible, be more conferences before any action.
LORD OGMORE: My Lords, since British ships may be involved, may I ask the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack whether he could give us an indication as to the legality in International Law of the proposed quarantine or blockade?
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM): My Lords, questions in this House are directed to Her Majesty's Government.
LORD OGMORE: My Lords, may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will induce the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack to reply or, if he is not prepared to do so at this moment, whether any of them can do so?
THE EARL OF HOME: My Lords, if I may say so, it was very characteristic of the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition that he should have treated (these issues in a very broad and statesmanlike way. He has recognised the grave anxiety of the people of the United States, as I think we all recognise what a new threat to that continent this is. It is the concern of many nations far outside the United States of America. I would say, on the facts,

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that the photographs have been examined by our own experts, who are satisfied that the interpretation put upon them by the Americans is right. But, of course, the noble Viscount is also quite right that it would be far better if there were international inspection on the spot of what was actually going on; and not only that, of course, but a guarantee that the construction of the offensive sites for these missiles would also be halted. I hope that this kind of proposal will be taken account of in the United Nations when the discussions are resumed and by the Secretary-General. As I have said, there has been no reply from Mr. Khrushchev or the President or from the Prime Minister of Cuba to U Thant.
I am grateful, too, to the noble Lord, Lord Rea, the Leader of the Liberal Party in this House. I will, of course, keep the House informed next week as to what is happening. As to the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Ogmore, I think I should be right in prophesying that there will be endless arguments between all the lawyers as to whether this action of the United States is illegal or not. Indeed, I should doubt whether there has been an exact precedent to this, because I do not know that there is any code of international law which can deal with a massive act of duplicity which brings to bear on a country a grave threat to its security. But we may debate these matters no doubt at more leisure on the Queen's Speech. In the meantime, on the question of British shipping, we know that British ships will not carry arms and, therefore, I anticipate no difficulties so far as British shipping is concerned, after the American action.
BARONESS SUMMERSKILL: My Lords, as the Foreign Secretary's statement has been awaited anxiously by the whole of the country, I think he would agree with me that it would be wrong at this stage not to answer certain questions which are in the minds of many people and that the utmost frankness is needed now. As he has emphasised the importance of sites and the nature of missiles, would he not at this stage tell the whole country what is the nature and
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the potentialities of the missiles which the Soviet Union have put here—I am sorry, which the United States have placed here? Do not let us here ignore the fact that this is a question which is being asked all over the country; and not to answer it is, of course, inviting confusion and unhappiness at this very critical time.
THE EARL OF HOME: My Lords, I thought I had given an account of the number of missiles and the range of the missiles. If I can add anything on the explosive power of the missiles then, of course, any further details I can give I will certainly do so. Normally each of these sites has, I understand, four launchers, and this means an initial salvo capacity of 32 missiles—have I misunderstood the noble Lady?
BARONESS SUMMERSKILL: The noble Earl has misunderstood me. The question that is being asked everywhere is how does this action of the Soviet Union in Cuba compare with the action of the United States here? As the Foreign Secretary dealt in detail with the potentiality of the missiles in Cuba, would he tell the country what are the missiles, and their potentialities, placed here by the United States?
THE EARL OF HOME: My Lords, I
think we can go into all these matters when we come to debate these things more widely. What the noble Lady is really raising is the question of the comparability of bases.
BARONESS SUMMERSKILL: Certainly.
THE EARL OF HOME: The Warsaw Pact and the N.A.T.O. Pact have for many years been lined up against each other on a recognised front. I think the point about this is that this is deliberately opening up a new area of instability and putting nuclear weapons of great power into a new part of the world, threatening not only the United States, but the Caribbean and South America as well. I think we had better leave this. I will bear in mind what the noble Lady has said and when we come to debate these matters next week perhaps I can say something more on this subject.

ROYAL COMMISSION
EARL ST ALDWYN: My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn during pleasure until half past eleven for the Royal Commission.
Moved, That the House do adjourn during pleasure.—(Earl St. Aldwyn.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and House adjourned during pleasure accordingly.
House resumed.

PROROGATION: HER MAJESTY'S SPEECH
Her Majesty's most gracious Speech was then delivered to both Houses of Parliament by The Lord Chancellor (in pursuance of Her Majesty's Command) as followeth:
" My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
"My Husband and I were touched by the memorable welcome given to us during our visit to Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. We also had great pleasure in visiting Liberia and later in welcoming the President of Liberia and Mrs.Tubman on a State Visit to this country.
"I was very glad to welcome the King of Norway as My guest in Edinburgh last week. This was the first State Visit to be held in Scotland since the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
"The bonds of friendship between My People and those of other countries have been strengthened through visits which have been paid by My Husband and by members of My Family.
"My Government have continued their active support for the United Nations and its Agencies, and have worked to achieve the purposes to which the United Nations Charter gives expression. At the Conference in Geneva they have supported proposals for general and complete disarmament and jointly with the Government of the United States have brought forward proposals for the banning of tests of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, owing
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to the attitude adopted by the Soviet Union and its allies, agreement has not yet been reached on either of those issues.
"My Government have continued to play a full part in the international organisations to which the United Kingdom belongs. The North Atlantic Alliance and other regional associations for defence have remained an integral part of My Government's defence policy.
"My Government played a leading part in the negotiations on the Laotian question at the Geneva Conference in July. These resulted in the signature of an agreement to end the civil war in Laos and to provide international undertakings to respect the neutrality of that country. I extend to the Kingdom of Laos My good wishes for its future peace and prosperity.
"My Government are in close consultation with the United States and My other allies about the dangerous situation created by the supply of offensive weapons to Cuba.
"My Government have continued negotiations with a view to joining the European Economic Community if satisfactory arrangements can be made to meet the special needs of the United Kingdom, of other Commonwealth countries and of the European Free Trade Association. My Government have also initiated negotiations for membership of the European Coal and Steel Community and Euratom.
"My Government have signed two Conventions establishing organisations which will enable this country to cooperate with other European countries in space projects.
"During the present Session Tanganyika, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda have become independent members of the Commonwealth. I extend my warmest good wishes to these countries.
"I was pleased to welcome in London last month the Heads of Government of all member countries of the Commonwealth, or their representatives.
"The Federation of the West Indies has been dissolved and plans have

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been made for preserving common services previously administered by the Federal Government.
"I welcomed the holding of the second Commonwealth Education Conference in New Delhi in January. I believe that co-operation in education will help to strengthen the links between the countries of the Commonwealth.
"My Government and the Government of the Federation of Malaya have reached a decision in principle that a Federation of Malaysia should be brought into being by 31st August, 1963.
"My Government have continued to give financial help to the overseas territories for which they are responsible. An Act has been passed to raise the limit on the aggregate amount of loans from the International Bank to the Colonial Territories Which may be guaranteed by My Treasury.
"My Armed Forces have continued to play their part in the maintenance of peace and stability in the world. An Emergency Reserve has been created in My Territorial Army in which volunteers may be called out for service with the Regular Army for short periods. I pay tribute to the millions of men who since 1939 have been called upon to serve under the National Service Acts.
"Members of the House of Commons
"I thank you for the provision which you have made for the public services.
"My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
"My Government have set up the National Economic Development Council to consider ways of improving economic efficiency and promoting more rapid growth and have sought to keep the rise of incomes within the rate of increase of national production.
"The strength of sterling has been maintained, and the substantial drawing obtained from the International Monetary Fund in 1961 has been repaid in full.
"My Ministers have token important steps to enrich the nation's cultural life especially by setting in
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train the establishment of a National Theatre.
"My Government have continued their support for agriculture. Legislation has been passed providing further financial assistance for the fishing industry and additional powers for the regulation of sea fisheries, including salmon fishing.
"An Act has been passed reducing the number of school-leaving dates and introducing more liberal arrangements for grants to full-time students in universities and elsewhere.
"Legislation has been passed establishing Councils for the training of health visitors and for training in social work.
"My Ministers have announced their intention of carrying through comprehensive plans for the development of our hospitals.
"Powers have been taken to exercise control over the rate of immigration to the United Kingdom of Commonwealth citizens from other parts of the Commonwealth.
"Measures have been enacted to improve the administration of criminal justice in England and Wales and to amend the law relating to the administration of justice in Northern Ireland and the legislative powers of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.
"My Government have continued to give their attention to the housing conditions of My People and are increasing their efforts to clear the slums.
"Alterations and improvements have been made in the schemes for family allowances, national insurance and industrial injuries. The scales of national assistance have been increased, and the provision for supplementing workmen's compensation has been improved.
"An Act has been passed to ensure the orderly development of industrial pipe-lines.
"Legislation has been passed providing for a better distribution of housing subsidies in Scotland and amending in other respects the law relating to housing in that country. The liquor licensing law in Scotland has been amended.
"Acts have been passed to provide for the reorganisation of the nationalised transport undertakings and to make further provision for safety on the roads.
"My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
"I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may attend you."
After which The LORD CHANCELLOR said:
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, by virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us
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and other Lords directed and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's name, and in obedience to Her Majesty's Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Tuesday, the 30th day of this instant October, to be then here holden, and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday, the 30th day of this instant October.
End of the Third Session of the Forty-second Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the eleventh year of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.