§ 2.38 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard the funds standing in the name of the Government of Rhodesia in the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia from any use other than that authorised by Her. Majesty's Government.]
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government are considering whether any action along these lines would be practicable.
§ LORD REAYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his Answer, and while recognising that Her Majesty's Government might wish to recognise the propriety of using funds standing in their name in the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia for the ordinary purposes of maintaining law and order, may I ask whether they would not consider specifying certain uses, such as, for instance, expenditure on detention camps or on certain military or police purposes for which Her Majesty's Government would decline to authorise the use of funds accruing to the legal Government of Rhodesia. Secondly, in an effort to give effect to these instructions, would Her Majesty's Government 1028 consider seeking an injunction in the Rhodesian courts restraining the governor of the Reserve Bank from releasing funds unless Her Majesty's Government were satisfied that they were not to be used for these purposes; or, failing that, would Her Majesty's Government at least make it clear to the governor of the Reserve Bank that they would hold the Reserve Bank liable, to the equivalent value of the funds that they had released for these purposes for which they had not been authorised, to whatever legal Government subsequently re-acquired legal control?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, the noble Lord makes some interesting points which I will undertake to see are considered. At the present time, the fact is that we have no means of physically preventing the allocation of funds held in Rhodesia.