HL Deb 12 March 1964 vol 256 cc534-5

3.27 p.m.

LORD OGMORE

My 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 what steps they have taken, since the debate in this House on February 20, 1963, on the Motion calling attention "to the need for a separate and permanent naval, military and air force, together with the necessary military government or civil affairs component, created, controlled and paid by, and owing sole allegiance to the United Nations, with its own command, structure and staff", to urge upon the Security Council and the Assembly of the United Nations that such a permanent force be set up without further delay.]

LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister, when replying to the debate on the noble Lord's Motion last year made clear why Her Majesty's Government regard the creation of a permanent United Nations force of the kind envisaged in the Motion to be impracticable at the present time. The situation has not changed since that debate.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, has the attention of the noble Lord the Leader of the House been drawn to the concluding words of the Prime Minister (he was then, of course, Foreign Secretary) in this debate when he said [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 246, col. 1433]: I think the practical step is that the Secretary-General, in the light of the experience of the different operations which the United Nations has undertaken, should review his headquarters, in both the military and the administrative fields, so that when another operation comes along, as it surely will … the United Nations forces can operate to the best possible advantage"? In view of that statement, have the Government pressed the United Nations to take the steps which the Prime Minister indicated should be taken? Had that been done, should we not be in a better position than we are in Cyprus?

LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, the answer to the noble Lord's first question, is: Yes, we are encouraging the Secretary-General to build up his headquarters staff, to digest the experience of the peace-keeping operations to date and to draw on the expertise of national forces enough to plan ahead. During his recent visit to New York, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary discussed with the Secretary-General the progress of these plans.