HL Deb 03 July 1967 vol 284 cc374-6

3.39 p.m.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, with your Lordships' permission I should like now to answer the Question of my noble friend Lord Rowley by repeating the words which my right honourable friend is now using in another place. His words are:

"The Head of the British Interests Section in Algiers spoke on the 1st and 2nd of July and again this morning to the Algerian authorities to inquire:

  1. (i) if any charges were being preferred;
  2. (ii) if none, why the British crew and aircraft were still being held.
"In the absence of any satisfactory response, the Swiss Government, who protect British interests in Algeria, are being asked to make formal representations on our behalf."

LORD ROWLEY

My Lords, in the event of the Government of Algeria failing to send a satisfactory reply within the next 24 hours, will the Government consider raising this matter at the General Assembly of the United Nations, in view of the fact that it is now in session? Because it seems to me that there is a strong case for taking the view that this is a gross breach of International Law.

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, my noble friend and your Lordships can be assured that Her Majesty's Government will take every step that seems efficacious to them to make sure that the interests of British subjects are adequately looked after. I will certainly ask my right honourable friend to consider the suggestion which my noble friend has just made.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I should like to associate myself with what the noble Lord, Lord Rowley, has said about this appearing to be a gross breach of International Law. It certainly appears to have been an act of piracy; and piracy involving British subjects and British property. I very much hope that Her Majesty's Government will ask the Swiss Government to make urgent further representations to the Algerian authorities if they do not receive very early satisfaction in this matter. May I ask the noble Lord one supplementary question; that is, how many British subjects are there involved? Apart from the pilot and the co-pilot, was there an air hostess in this plane; and, if so, is she a British subject, too?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, to the best of my knowledge there are only the two British subjects, the pilot and the co-pilot. I would make clear to the noble Earl that the Swiss Government have already been asked to make formal representations on our behalf, because, as the noble Earl knows well, we are not in diplomatic relations with Algeria. However, we still have Consular representation there, and our Consul-General has already been in touch on more than one occasion with the appropriate authorities in Algiers.

If I may, I should also like to clarify one point. The point at issue at this stage is in no way concerned with a question of piracy. We are completely in the dark as to whether there was in fact an act of piracy, and, if so, what nationals were responsible for it. The only matter at issue at this stage, which we are pursuing with the Algerian authorities, is the release both of British subjects and of British aircraft.

EARL JELLICOE

I of course accept what the noble Lord has just said; and I wonder whether he could tell me one other thing. I did not quite catch this point in his original reply. Can he tell us whether the British representative, Mr. Dawbarn, has yet been able to see these two British subjects?

LORD WALSTON

No, my Lords; he has not yet been able to see them.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, with regard to the position of the British aircraft, could the noble Lord expand on that at all? Also, could he tell us whether the I.A.T.A. regulations apply in this particular case?

LORD WALSTON

I am afraid that I can neither expand nor explain, my Lords, This is an extremely complicated matter of International Law, and until the actual facts of the diversion of the aircraft to Algiers from its normal flight plan have been fully ascertained it is impossible to say what laws, international or otherwise, regulations of I.A.T.A. or anything else, have been infringed.

LORD BOOTHBY

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether the Government are satisfied—they probably do not know—that if the aeroplane had not complied and diverted its course as ordered to it would necessarily have been shot down?

LORD WALSTON

My Lords, my information comes from no more than the reading of newspapers, but I understand that the threat was an internal one rather than an external one to the aircraft.