§ 3.40 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)My Lords, with permission, I should like to repeat a Statement which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has just read in another place about Rhodesia. His words were:
"As the House knows, talks have been taking place in Salisbury between British and Rhodesian officials, on an exploratory basis and without commitment on either side, to see whether a basis exists for negotiations. The purpose of these talks has been to see whether negotiations based on the Six Principles could ultimately take place, and with whom those negotiations would be held, on a constitutional basis.
"I should like to thank the House for its patience in not pressing for 966 information but, since I have to inform the House that these talks are being adjourned for a period, it is right that, without breaching the secrecy which I have told the House I consider essential, I should say something about the stage which has been reached. The discussions have been useful in clarifying attitudes and intentions and in further identifying the problems which have to be met in order to achieve a solution acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole, and to this House. It has been agreed that there should now be a pause for further consideration of the respective positions, before the talks are resumed later in the month. In the interval, sanctions will, of course, be fully maintained.
"So far as Her Majesty's Government are concerned, they intend to employ the pause in hard thought on all the main aspects of the Rhodesian problem, particularly the right constitutional arrangements within Rhodesia and Rhodesia's future place in the family of nations. These are related and, indeed, inseparable aspects of the same problem, for there would be no purpose in reaching agreement on the constitutional future of Rhodesia if that agreement did not at the same time win for Rhodesia acceptance in international society. It is expected that the talks will be resumed at a fairly early date, and the House will agree that it is important that they should then make more rapid progress, for I am sure that the House will also agree that the present situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely."
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, all your Lordships, I think, will be pleased to hear that it is proposed that these talks should be resumed later this month, and I do not intend to say anything more about that. There is just one aspect to which I should like to refer: that is, that the timetable as outlined by the noble Earl, though, of course, I understand the need for it, means that Parliament and this House will not be able to debate the Rhodesian issue or anything connected with Rhodesia until probably the end of October or the beginning of November, and in the meantime there will possibly be a Prime Ministers' Conference. This means that there is a very long gap, 967 in which we shall not be able to discuss this very grave problem. Perhaps the noble Earl the Leader of the House would give an assurance to your Lordships that, so far as it is possible, Parliament will be kept informed of what is going on and, if need be, Parliament will be recalled.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, I am grateful for the restraint shown as usual by the noble Lord, Lord Carrington. I will certainly give him an assurance, if I may do so, that I will keep in touch with him, and we can discuss the other possibilities he mentioned.
§ LORD ALPORTMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether the Statement of the Prime Minister implies that the talks will be resumed at any particular level—by which I mean, are they to be a continuance of the present talks by the individuals at present involved in those talks or are they to take a different form when they resume at the end of this month?
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, I cannot give a precise answer without notice, but my strong impression is that they will be resumed in their present form on the same kind of level. I do not know whether all the same individuals will be involved, but it will be the same kind of talk.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, in view of the fact that this Statement includes the reiteration that any settlement must be acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole, could my noble friend say whether it is the intention, as in all previous cases of independence, that there shall be some discussion with the African representatives in Rhodesia as well?
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, in reply to my noble friend, I do not think I can go beyond the Statement on the Six Principles, of which, of course, he is very well aware.
LORD REAMy Lords, I should like informally to thank the noble Earl for the Statement and ask whether we may take it that the Six Principles still stand with the same strength with which they have stood up to now.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, the answer is, emphatically, yes. I apologise if I failed to give the noble Lord a chance of making his views known before I dealt with some of the other speakers.