HL Deb 22 February 1967 vol 280 cc722-5

3.45 p.m.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, with permission, I should like to repeat a Statement which has been made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister without Portfolio. The Statement is as follows:

"I have sent a message to the Prime Minister of Malta welcoming the communication I received from him at midnight in which he informed me of his readiness to hold early negotiations in London with the British Government. I invited him to come to London early next week for these negotiations about the phasing and consequences of the rundown of British forces in Malta.

"As the House will have heard, Dr. Borg Olivier, in a statement to the Malta Parliament last night said that the Malta Government would not proceed with the amendment of the Visiting Forces Act. This, as I have informed Dr. Borg Olivier, is a welcome and helpful development. During my visit to Malta I explained to Dr. Borg Olivier that we could not agree to negotiations if the administrative measures against the British Forces were to continue. The Maltese Government were not able to give me a final reply on this point and are still considering the matter. I very greatly hope that, to enable the talks to take place, the Malta Government will be prepared to ensure that normal conditions for our Forces will be restored."

LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Beswick, for having repeated that Statement, and for the moderately good news it brings with it. I am sure your Lordships will very much hope that it will be possible for this meeting to take place in London next week. At the same time, I hope the noble Lord will also take note of how very strongly we on this side of the House feel that the Malta Government and the Maltese people should be treated not only fairly but generously.

Loan BESWICK

My Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for his moderately kind words. I would ask him also to bear in mind that, whereas we wish to treat the Malta Government generously, it would be a good thing if people in this country were to recognise that so far we have not been ungenerous in this matter.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, we on these Benches are very pleased indeed that the Malta Government have agreed not to proceed with the amendment of the Visiting Forces Act. We also welcome the fact that Dr. Borg Olivier is coming to London shortly to resume negotiations. May I ask the noble Lord, Lord Beswick, whether it is a fact that there will be no conclusion to the negotiations unless normal conditions for our Forces are restored? Secondly, may I ask him again, as I have asked on previous occasions, whether he will do his best to see that aid is given to the Malta Government with regard to the water desalination plant, since water, as I see it, is the main problem of Malta?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, in regard to the point about administrative measures which have been taken recently by the Malta Government against the British Forces, what I tried to make clear was that, not only will negotiations not be concluded but they will not start unless these harassing measures are ended. May I also emphasise that we have put to the Malta Government, fairly and properly, that we on our part will be prepared to suspend the action on the run-down while at the same time they suspend action on the administrative harassment. With regard to the desalination possibilities this is entirely a matter of economics. It requires examination by technicians, and this is one of the matters which may well be looked at by the mission which it has been proposed should visit Malta in relation to the economic development of the Island.

LORD GRIMSTON OF WESTBURY

My Lords, as a matter of information, could the noble Lord tell us what was the amount of money to be saved by the run-down as originally envisaged by Her Majesty's Government?

LORD BESWICK

Yes, my Lords. The expenditure is running at the rate of £12 million and would come down in annual stages to £6 million. Ultimately we shall be saving £6 million a year.

THE EARL OF GLASGOW

My Lords, could the noble Lord please say whether the Government are now prepared to consider an extension of the time for the run-down beyond four years?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, it was put to the Malta Government by my right honourable friend that, as one of the examples of our readiness to be reasonable on this matter, if they came here and sat round a table to discuss the phasing of the run-down we should even be prepared to run it into the fifth year.

LORD FARINGDON

My Lords, I wonder whether my noble friend realises that many of us are deeply disturbed, as I am sure he is, too, by the situation in Malta, and that we should not wish that any of what I think he called the harassments should be allowed to stand in the way of these negotiations.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I quite agree with my noble friend, and the fact that the Prime Minister, Doctor Borg Olivier, who I am quite certain wishes to see a successful conclusion to these negotiations, has undertaken to come to London is something which should give us satisfaction. Nevertheless, I trust very sincerely that there will still be no difficulty over the suspension of these harassing tactics.

VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN

My Lords, may I ask the Minister a question? Within the strategic concept of the West in East/West relations, is it considered necessary that British armed forces should be maintained in Malta? In other words, are they there for military reasons, or are they there for political reasons, or are they there to keep up the economy of the Island—which of those three?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I suspect that the noble and gallant Viscount knows the answer to his questions as well as I do.

VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN

My Lords, I have my own views on the matter, but I want to know what the Government think.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the Government's views have been set out quite clearly for those who read these matters, and I am certain that the noble and gallant Viscount does read these matters. What we have said is that in the context of the Defence Review it is not necessary to keep the number of troops in Malta that are now there. We could properly, within the context of our Review, run them down to the number which I originally put to the Malta Government in August of last year. But now, largely to help the Malta Government, not in order to fulfil any military commitments but in order to help the economy of the Island we are prepared to consider the slowing down of the run-down.

VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN

My Lords, could I have an answer to my question?