§ 3.35 p.m.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, may I, with your Lordships' permission, read an Answer that is being given by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in another place in reply to a Question asking whether he will make a Statement about his correspondence with the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia? The Answer is as follows: "My correspendence with the Prime Minister of Rhodesia remains confidential. I can, however, inform the House that when I met him in London ten days ago I suggested that my right honourable friend the Commonwealth Secretary and my noble friend the Lord Chancellor should visit Rhodesia to have discussions with the Rhodesian Government and to meet a representative cross-section of opinion. The Rhodesian Government has agreed to the visit, which is expected to last about ten days. My colleagues will be seeing any persons they wish who are not in prison for criminal offences. They expect to arrive in Salisbury about February 22."
My Lords, that is the end of my right honourable friend's Answer. Assuming that my visit lasts for about ten days, I should be returning to London on or about Wednesday, March 3, and I should like to inform your Lordships that the Counsellors of State have been graciously pleased to consent to my being absent from the country for this period. So far as I can judge, I am likely to be away from the House for about five sitting 25 days. I ask your Lordships to agree to my being absent from the Woolsack during that time.
§ VISCOUNT DILHORNEMy Lords, while we shall all of us no doubt miss the noble and learned Lord during his absence from the Woolsack, I am sure he will embark on his mission with your Lordships' good wishes; and it is the hope of all of us that the discussions which are to take place may result in some alleviation of the problems of Southern Rhodesia. May I take it that the object of the visit is solely to have discussions and not to reach decisions, and that the noble and learned Lord and the Commonwealth Secretary will be reporting to Parliament the results of those discussions? There is one further matter that I do not think is quite clear from the Statement. There is a reference to seeing any persons whom the noble Lord and the Commonwealth Secretary may wish to see who are not in gaol for criminal offences. May I ask the noble and learned Lord this? Will he and the Commonwealth Secretary be able to see Mr. Nkomo and Mr. Sithole, should they wish to do so?
LORD REAMy Lords, may I add our good wishes from these Benches? We shall indeed miss the noble and learned Lord. We are very glad that we shall be so very well represented on his journey. May I thank him for his courtesy in notifying us of his intentions, and wish him full success in his mission?
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I welcome the observations that have been made both by the noble and learned Viscount, Lord Dilhorne, and by the noble Lord, Lord Rea. It is correct that the purpose of the visit is to have discussions both with the Government of Rhodesia and with representatives of all shades of opinion in the country. We shall return and report in the first instance, of course, to the Government, and it will be for the Government then to decide what is the next step to take. In answer to the last question raised by the noble and learned Viscount, Lord Dilhorne, we shall not be able to see Mr. Sithole, who is in prison as a convicted man, but we shall be able to see restrictees, including Mr. Nkomo.