THE COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS' CONFERENCE (Hansard, 29 June 1965)

§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)
My Lords, with permission I should like to repeat an Answer which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has just given to a Question in another place. His exact words were as follows:
"Honourable Members will have seen the Communiqué published at the 747 end of the Meeting and I shall not at this stage take up the time of the House by referring to all the conclusions we reached and which are set out in the Communiqué (copies of which are in the Library).
"As is customary on these occasions, we opened with a review of world affairs. On this occasion, however, we were not content merely to review international tensions but decided to do something about them. It was in these circumstances that we were able to take an unprecedented initiative over Vietnam. We did this because it had to be done and because there was no one else to do it. And there is still no one else.
"On Rhodesia, as right honourable gentlemen opposite will understand, the Prime Ministers expressed their views very fully. Equally, they accepted that the responsibility for leading Rhodesia and, indeed, all Britain's remaining territories to independence must continue to rest with Britain. I informed them of the principles guiding us in our current discussions with Mr. Smith; but I thought it right to undertake that, if these discussions did not develop satisfactorily in a reasonably speedy time, the British Government would be ready to consider promoting a Constitutional Conference in order to ensure progress to independence on a basis acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole.
"Apart from these major political problems, the Meeting approved the terms of reference of the Commonwealth Secretariat and appointed its first Secretary-General. I am sure the whole House will wish to join with me in wishing Mr. Arnold Smith every success for this new venture.
"We have, in addition, following new and urgently needed initiatives in the field of trade, agreed that preparations should go forward for a Commonwealth Trade Conference, for a meeting of those most closely concerned with planning and for meetings between representatives of all Commonwealth countries to deal with questions affecting aviation and aircraft.
"Let me summarise. This was a Meeting in which the Commonwealth 748 Prime Ministers showed their determination to make the best use of the particular characteristics of this family of nations. The Commonwealth, as I have often said, represents the entire world—apart from the Communist sector—in miniature. If—and I know the whole House will agree with me in this—the major problems that lie ahead are those of race and poverty, then the Commonwealth, bridging as it does the gulfs between white and nonwhite, rich and poor, has a vital role to play in neutralising the tensions of race and overcoming the divisions of wealth. In the initiative over Vietnam it has also given itself a peace-making role in the world, not in any sense to supersede the United Nations or the Geneva Co-Chairmen but to complement their work and to take action where others concerned are, for one reason or another, powerless to act.
"Altogether, though there are difficulties ahead, and although no one wishes to suggest that we all think alike—indeed I regard that as a source of strength rather than weakness—I am sure the House will agree with many of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers that this Meeting has given the Commonwealth a new sense of direction, a new sense of purpose and a new sense of unity in diversity."

§ LORD CARRINGTON
My Lords, I should like at once to associate those who sit on these Benches with the welcome which the Prime Minister has given to the appointment of Mr. Arnold Smith as the Secretary-General of the new Commonwealth Secretariat. This is the culmination of an initiative started by Sir Alec Douglas-Home when he was Chairman of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference last year, and it is most gratifying to see that it has been carried through. I am pleased, too, to see that the Prime Ministers agreed on the terms for a Commonwealth Foundation. This, again, was started last year, and I believe it is one of the most important things that the Commonwealth can do in the future—most important for holding the Commonwealth together and increasing this interchange 749 of visits. The Prime Minister ends his Statement by saying that this meeting has given the Commonwealth a new sense of direction, a new sense of purpose, and a new sense of unity in diversity. I must say that I think it is rather too soon to say whether that is so or not. But certainly everybody in the House will greatly hope that it is, and that we shall find it to be so in the future.

LORD REA
My Lords, may I associate the Liberal Benches with the sentiments expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Carrington? We also greatly welcome this Statement, and also would extend our congratulations and good hopes to Mr. Arnold Smith. The Statement really is the skeleton upon which we can build a Commonwealth debate, and I do not think that to-day we can go into great detail. But I certainly think that it is suitable that we should express our admiration for the work that has been done and our admiration of the Prime Minister for initiating this move. I think the criticisms that have been directed at him from many directions have been rather partisan. It is a good idea. If it comes off, it will he a splendid idea. All T would say is that we wish it the best possible future.

§ THE EARL OF LONGFORD
My Lords, I should like to thank both noble Lords for the careful, but friendly, statements that they have just made to the House.

§ LORD ALPORT
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he can give any indication of the purpose and terms of reference of the Commonwealth Trade Conference—whether that has been worked out yet, or whether any decisions with regard to it were reached at the Conference which has just finished?

§ THE EARL OF LONGFORD
My Lords, the noble Lord has probably had access to the Communiqué, which is available, and I think he will find there fairly full information, though I would not say that all the details have been worked out.

§ LORD COLYTON
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House two questions? One refers to the Vietnam Mission and the other to Rhodesia. May I first ask him, regarding the formation of this Mission under the 750 Prime Minister's chairmanship, whether he can give us an assurance that this means that he is not in any way departing from his support of the United States of America in their determination to ensure that any agreement over South Vietnam should respect the principles of the Geneva Agreements of 1954; and that Communist aggression from north Vietnam and China should not in any circumstances be allowed to pay? Then, secondly, in regard to Rhodesia, may I ask him this question? In the unhappy event of agreement not being reached between Her Majesty's Government and the Rhodesian Government on conditions for independence, would Her Majesty's Government undertake that they will not call any Constitutional Conference without the approval and agreement of the legally-elected Government of Rhodesia, who have enjoyed full internal self-government for 43 years?

§ THE EARL OF LONGFORD
My Lords, with regard to the first question, the answer to the noble Lord is that certainly this initiative does not represent any change in foreign policy, and in particular any change in our attitude to the United States. As regards the second question, I think I had better remind the noble Lord of the careful language of the Communiqué on this point. It is this: …if the discussions did not develop satisfactorily in this direction in a reasonably speedy time, the British Government, having regard to the principle enunciated by the Commonwealth Secretary of unimpeded progress towards majority rule, would be ready to consider promoting such a Conference… That is the language, and I cannot answer any hypothetical question arising out of it; but I have no doubt that the noble Lord can interpret that language as well as the rest of us.