§ 3.6 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their action in instructing the World Health Organisation to have no further dealings with the Rhodesian Government is in keeping with humanitarian principles.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD BESWICK)My Lords, the World Health Organisation, of which Rhodesia is an associate member, was informed, in company with other specialised agencies, after the illegal declaration of independence that it should have no communication with the illegal régime in Salisbury and that Her Majesty's Government had withdrawn the authority of representatives nominated by the illegal regime. It was not, however, the intention to deny humanitarian services through the World Health Organisation. The Organisation was, therefore, also informed, in qualification of the foregoing, that it could continue where necessary to correspond on strictly technical or routine matters with Rhodesian officials lawfully appointed before the illegal declaration and acting in the ordinary course of their duties. We thus gave full weight to the humanitarian considerations involved.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for his Answer, may I ask him whether he is aware, for instance, that notification of suspect drugs has 1046 apparently ceased to reach Rhodesia, and that the project for the eradication of malaria in Rhodesia, the agreement in respect of which was signed at the end of 1964, appears to have been delayed? Might I also ask the noble Lord, in spite of his Answer, whether he does not think that any direction from this Government to the World Health Organisation to stop dealings, or in any way to interfere, from the point of view of health, with Rhodesia, really amounts to medical sanctions, and is not in keeping with the dignity of Great Britain?
§ LORD BESWICKYes, my Lords. I think it would be as well, however, to get the facts right. A good deal was made of quite inaccurate Press reports that, by our action, a warning about the danger of two drugs was prevented from reaching Salisbury. That report was quite inaccurate. No warning was given to any Government, illegal or otherwise, in Salisbury or elsewhere, and therefore the first part of the noble Viscount's supplementary question does not arise at all. So far as the work for the eradication of malaria is concerned, we should be very happy to see this go ahead.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLCould my noble friend tell me in detail what activities, designed for the promotion of health by the World Health Organisation, ceased on the reception of these instructions?
§ LORD BESWICKYes. If my noble friend puts a Question down, I shall be glad to give her a list of them—if there are any.
LORD SALTOUNMy Lords, may I ask the Government what earthly connection the world's health and the advancement of medical science has with the date of a man's appointment to an office in Rhodesia? I cannot understand.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, if there is an illegal régime in Salisbury, the United Nations and its specialised agencies cannot have dealings with that régime. However, if there are officials working on such matters as health in Salisbury, we have absolutely no reason to intercept or interfere with any correspondence on such technical matters as between the specialised agencies and those individual officials in Salisbury.
LORD SALTOUNMy Lords, perhaps I did not make myself clear to the noble Lord. In time of war, our hospitals look after our wounded enemies just as much and just as well as they look after our own wounded. Surely the same principle applies here. When matters of human health are involved, it does not in the least matter how a régime has come into being.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I understand the noble Lord's feelings on the general issue here, but I really cannot see what he is concerned about in this particular case. So far as the date is concerned, certain officials appointed by the legal régime remain appointed and are, in our view, officials with whom it is proper to have dealings; but there may well be cases of other individuals appointed by the illegal régime with whom it would not be proper to deal.
§ BARONESS HORSBRUGHMy Lords, could the Minister say whether, if there was an epidemic of disease in Rhodesia, they would have to deal with it without the help and advice of the World Health Organisation, or would the World Health Organisation then go in? Otherwise, the epidemic might spread to the whole of Africa.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I agree absolutely with what the noble Baroness has said. Nothing that I have said runs contrary to the sentiment which she has expressed. We have absolutely no wish to prevent the humanitarian work of the W.H.O. from operating is Salisbury. That, I should have thought, had been made clear. The agitation about a contrary sentiment has been founded on inaccurate Press reports.
§ LORD CARRINGTONWhat puzzles me, my Lords, is what the noble Lord said in answer to the noble Baroness, Lady Summer skill. Surely the point is: What in fact are the practical consequences of this action?
§ LORD BESWICKI am sorry that I did not give a more informative answer to my noble friend. I should have liked to do so, but one cannot prove a negative. So far as I am concerned, nothing has been stopped, but I should not like to assert that until I have had an opportunity of looking into the matter.