HL Deb 12 March 1964 vol 256 cc532-4

3.25 p.m.

LORD ALPORT

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any decision has been reached with regard to the financial provision to be made by the United Kingdom to the University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND FOR THE COLONIES (THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE)

My Lords, I have nothing to add to what I told my noble friend on January 30 of this year, pending talks with the Southern Rhodesia Government which are taking place early in April.

LORD ALPORT

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether at those talks special provision is going to be considered for the medical school, in view of the great importance of the development of medical teaching in Central Africa for the better improvement of the health services in that part of the world?

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

My Lords, I am quite sure that at these forthcoming talks the matter which my noble friend has drawn attention to will be given due consideration.

EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, can the noble Duke give us any idea when these talks are going to conclude? Is it the intention of the Government to have the main question with regard to Rhodesia settled before the General Election?

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

My Lords, I should be most unwise to make any comment on the General Election, but I hope I shall not be giving away any State or Government secrets if I say that it is anticipated that these talks will last about one week.

THE EARL OF SWINTON

My Lords, will my noble friend give us an assurance that, irrespective of all electoral or political considerations, the Government will continue to give all the help they possibly can to this great inter-racial university?

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

My Lords, I think I should be most unwise to add anything to what I have said. I think we must await the results of these talks which are due to take place in the relatively near future.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, would the noble Duke not agree that it would be even more unwise, if not of him of the Government, if they were to allow this great experimental and valuable university to languish through lack of certainty about its future and the future of those people who are going to come as students and go out from it as trained academics?

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

My Lords, I am quite sure that those who are taking part in these talks are fully aware of the importance of the issues at stake, and that all that the noble Lord has said will be given due consideration. But, at the risk of being thought unforthcoming, I think it would be unwise of me to say anything further pending the talks that are about to take place.