§ 3.35 p.m.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I wonder whether I might now answer the Question which the noble Lord, Lord Silkin, put to me earlier to-day on the subject of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference and what communication the Prime Minister had received from the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia about the Conference. The Answer is as follows.
The meetings of Commonwealth Prime Ministers are, by tradition convened by the British Prime Minister, who in making the arrangements seeks to meet the wishes of his Commonwealth colleagues. It has long been recognised that the only persons who attend these meetings of right are the Prime Ministers of the fully independent countries of the Commonwealth. Therefore, before issuing invitations to the Prime Minister of any country which is not independent the British Government have always thought it right to satisfy themselves that this would be generally acceptable to other members.
In accordance with this practice, we told the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia that if he so wished we were ready to consult the Prime Ministers of the independent member countries about the question of an invitation to him. The Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia replied that he considered that he was entitled as of right to receive an invitation to the meeting, and that he did not therefore wish the British Government to consult other Commonwealth Governments about it. We have asked him to consider the matter further, since we would not feel it right to depart from the usual practice.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, we are very grateful to the noble Lord the Leader of the House for his statement. May I ask him whether the Government will make it perfectly clear to the Government of Southern Rhodesia that the British Government's view about the locus of Southern Rhodesia in relation to an invitation to the Prime Ministers' Conference is shared by both the major Parties in this country? May I also ask him (because 1056 it did not seem to be absolutely clear from the statement), whether, if the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia changes his mind and asks for an invitation, as a matter of courtesy and practice no such invitation will be issued without the agreement of the other members of the Commonwealth?
LORD REAMy Lords, may I add my thanks to the noble Lord the leader of the House for his statement, which really repeats what he was good enough to tell me in this House last week. I think the Government have been put in an embarrassing situation, and we on these Benches take the view that the course which the Government have taken is entirely right.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am grateful for what the two noble Lords have said. I think the noble Earl has misunderstood the position, My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has asked the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia to consider the matter further—the matter being whether or not he would like us to consult the Prime Ministers of the indepent member countries about the question of an invitation to him.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, perhaps I did not make myself absolutely clear. I understood that in that event the Prime Ministers of the other Commonwealth countries would be consulted. What I wanted to know was not only whether they would be consulted but whether their agreement would be obtained before Her Majesty's Government decided to issue an invitation.
§ LORD CARRINGTONI am sure that would be so.
§ LORD CARRINGTONI think matters concerning the Commonwealth are always by unanimous agreement.
§ THE EARL OF SANDWICHMy Lords, has it been considered whether other Commonwealth countries might be agreeeable to the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia coming for part of the Conference—namely, for the discussion of the Southern Rhodesia case—by invitation of other Commonwealth Prime Ministers? It seems to me that 1057 if the other Commonwealth countries were asked if they objected to his coming for part of the sessions, that would dispose of the question of his right of access to the Conference.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I think that is a very interesting suggestion, and one that I should like to pass on to my right honourable friend the Prime Minister.