HL Deb 05 July 1966 vol 275 cc1051-4

7.50 p.m.

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Beswick.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The LORD AIREDALE in the Chair.]

Clause 1: Power of Minister of Overseas Development to provide assistance to, or for the benefit of, overseas countries

1.— (4) The last foregoing subsection shall not prevent the Minister from making from time to time grants under subsection (1) above to any of the following governments, that is to say, the government of Aden and any government established for any part or parts of the Protectorate of South Arabia, for the purpose of enabling the government to defray any amount by which it appears to him that their resources are or will be insufficient to enable them to defray their administrative expenses; and the power to make such grants shall be in addition to the power to make grants under a scheme under the said Act of 1959.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND FOR THE COLONIES (LORD BESWICK) moved, in subsection (4), to leave out "government of Aden and any" and insert: governments of the Federation of South Arabia, Aden, the Island of Perim, the Kuria Muria Islands and Kamaran, and any government (other than that of the said Federation)".

The noble Lord said: I mentioned on Second Reading that it would be necessary to submit an Amendment relating to the power of the Minister of Overseas Development to give budgetary assistance to the various Governments in Aden and South Arabia. As I then explained, the necessity for this reference to particular areas arises because of the transfer of responsibility for our relations with Aden and South Arabia from the Colonial Office to the Foreign Office. Before that transfer, the Colonial Secretary would have had the necessary power in this Bill and would have continued to give such budgetary assistance as was decided from year to year. But as neither the Colonial Secretary nor the Foreign Secretary now has statutory power to give budgetary aid to these dependent territories, it is proposed to vest the power in my right honourable friend the Minister of Overseas Development.

The original form of words in the Bill, although well designed for their purpose from a legal point of view, stimulated a certain amount of controversy because they did not specifically mention the Federal Government of South Arabia. Criticism in the other place was couched, I think, in very extreme terms, but it reflected, I understand, the feelings made known by the Foreign Minister of the Federation. It is not for me here to comment on the strength of the feelings which were made known, but as I said in the Second Reading debate there was absolutely no intention of offending anyone, and again, to use words from the Standing Orders of this House, as no offence was intended, no ill should have been taken. However, in order to meet the point raised in the other place, and also here (I must say in much more reasonable terms), by the noble Earl, Lord Bessborough, I am pleased to move the Amendment which makes specific reference to the Government of the Federation of South Arabia.

At the same time, in order to make absolutely certain from a legal point of view that the Minister of Overseas Development is empowered to give budgetary assistance to these outlying islands, we have also taken the opportunity to include a specific reference to the Islands of Perim, the Kuria Murias and Kamaran. The necessity for mentioning them separately is wholly and solely due to a desire to satisfy the legal complexities of the constitutional position. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 2, line 25, leave out from ("the") to ("established") and insert the said new words.—(Lord Beswick.)

THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGH

I am grateful to the noble Lord for putting down this Amendment and for the great trouble to which he has gone in trying to meet the point which was made by my right honourable friend in another place and also by myself on Second Reading in your Lordships' House. It was certainly, I think, a mistake to omit from subsection (4) of Clause I of the Bill the Government of the Federation of South Arabia, which, as I said on Second Reading, is the most important Government in the area; and, as we know, there was certainly some feeling among the South Arabians about this. Whether, as the noble Lord implies, their fears were groundless, or whether they were not, is no doubt a matter of opinion, but I am glad the noble Lord has now included the Federation, responsibility for which has, of course, been transferred from the Colonial Office to the Foreign Office. I also agree fully with him that the Islands of Perim, the Kuria Murias and Kamaran should be treated as distinct and separate island territories.

I am glad that the Government have seen the light on this and in view of our debate yesterday I am happy to know that the Opposition, in consultation with the Government, still has a role to play in revising and improving Bills which have been sent to your Lordships' House from another place. I thank the noble Lord for this. For once I am reasonably pleased with what the Government have done, and I judge that the South Arabians, who have perhaps not been happy about all aspects of the Government's policy in that part of the world, will also be pleased. I accept the Amendment.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

House resumed: Bill reported, with the Amendment.