§ 2.53 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask Her Majesty's Governernment the Question of which I have given Private Notice—namely, whether they have any information about the purpose of the United Nations Special Committee on Colonialism which has flown from New York to Africa, stopping in London for twelve hours on May 22, and whether members of this Committee will be permitted to visit Rhodesia, Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, the United Nations Special Committee on Colonialism is visiting Africa to hold formal sessions in Lusaka, Dar-es-Salaam and Addis Ababa between May 24 and June 18. With regard to the second part of the Question, their itinerary does not include visits to Rhodesia, Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether any official notice is being taken of the fact that, after this Committee had been entertained to lunch by the Colonial Secretary on their way through 720 London on Saturday, one of its members, Dr. Gonzalez, informed the Press that the first objective of the Committee was to ensure the immediate return of British-occupied Gibraltar to Spain? May I also ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that the mischievous activities of this United Nations Committee have done more than anything else to bring about the victory of extremist elements on both sides in Rhodesia and elsewhere? Is he further aware That their constant endeavours to interfere with the domestic concerns of sovereign States are contrary to the terms of their own appointment by the United Nations? Instead of asking them to lunch when they pass through London, should we not ask them to go home and mind their own business?
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, with regard to the first part of the noble Earl's question, Her Majesty's Government are taking no official notice of the purported remarks of Dr. Gonzalez. He was, if he has been correctly reported, speaking in a purely personal capacity. Her Majesty's Government's views on Gibraltar remain as they were in the White Paper, and as stated in a short debate in your Lordships' House not long ago.
With regard to the second part of the noble Earl's question, I cannot in any way agree with the views that he has expressed. This Committee is a Committee of the United Nations, of which we are a member and which we support. We are also a member of the Committee itself—the Committee on Colonialism: the Committee of 24—and we believe that it is a correct function of the United Nations to interest themselves in all matters throughout the world which may—I do not say which do, but which may—cause injustice, and which undoubtedly in many cases lead to tension that tension potentially being a source of war. We therefore welcome the activities of the United Nations and, in general, the activities of this Committee. I cannot in any way subscribe to the views—I could not quite say that it was a question—expressed by the noble Earl, about this Committee and its activities being in any way responsible for extremist factions in parts of Africa.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, may I press the noble Lord on this 721 matter? Is he aware that when the Committee on Colonialism was started in 1961, I happened to be the Minister in New York who had to announce in the United Nations General Assembly that we would give every support and all the information we could to this Committee, on the understanding that they did not interfere with the domestic concerns of any country? Since they have done practically nothing else since then, is the noble Lord seriously maintaining that they have not broken that understanding, and is it not time that we ceased to give them any countenance or information in the dangerously subversive work on which they have been employing themselves?
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, we have on many occasions made it clear that we consider the internal affairs of our Colonies our own responsibility, and I do not want to go back on that at all. For all that, we believe that it is correct for the United Nations to interest themselves in these matters, for the reasons I have already given—and I shall not repeat the reasons—and we are prepared, subject to the provisos which I have already mentioned, to co-operate to the best of our ability with any United Nations organisation.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord, Lord Walston, whether he saw a report in the Sunday Telegraph last Sunday, that the spokesman of this Committee had said after the meeting that, if necessary, the United Nations could use force to help those still under colonial rule, which was but a disguised form of slavery? Would he take the earliest possible opportunity of dissociating Her Majesty's Government from that interpretation of the rôle of the United Nations?
§ LORD WALSTONYes, my Lords. We certainly do not believe that it is for this Committee to use force, or to advocate the use of force, in these matters. I think that noble Lords know perfectly well what are the functions, the responsibilities and the powers of the United Nations; and we adhere to them, and to no others.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, will the noble Lord make that clear to the United Nations and the Com- 722 mittee, as well as to your Lordships' House?
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, I think that it is already perfectly clear to the United Nations. Of course it is up to those who report these proceedings to decide whether they wish to make it even more clear than I have made it, or to spread still further what I have said to your Lordships to-day.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether we may all thank God that this lot are not going to Southern Africa?