HL Deb 04 July 1967 vol 284 cc492-4

2.47 p.m.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My 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 the Israeli Government has set up a Refugee Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority with the task of settling large numbers of Arab refugees in occupied territory; and whether Her Majesty's Government would approve the raising of international funds for the purpose of expediting this work in advance of a peace settlement.]

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF LONGFORD)

My Lords, we do not yet have full information about such an Authority, and until we do it is obviously difficult to decide on our attitude towards it. From such reports as we have received, however, this seems to be a welcome development, and I can assure the noble Earl that that is how we regard it.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. I quite appreciate that he may not have full official information, but might it not be a good thing to ask either the Israeli Ambassador here or our Ambassador in Tel-Aviv what are the intentions of the Israeli Government, and might not this information be helpful to all those countries which are contributing, either through UNRWA or in some other way, towards the training and support of the refugees?

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, we have received reports from our Ambassador in Israel, but even so I have nothing to add to my earlier Answer, although I am quite ready to tell the noble Earl or any Member of your Lordships' House the nature of the reports. They are encouraging, but I should not like to say more than that at the moment.

LORD BYERS

My Lords, may I thank the noble Earl for the sympathy which the Government are showing in this matter and their interest. But may I ask him whether we could not now, in co-operation with other Western Powers, set up some organisation to plan the resettlement of the refugees, to make provision for the desalination plants and to organise the necessary finance? A great deal of work has been done on this; what seems to be missing is the organisation.

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, I would not agree that the organisation is missing. The noble Lord, Lord Byers, spoke very effectively, if I may say so, on this point in our debate last week, and may I assure him that his actual proposals are receiving urgent consideration.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Earl, and I should like to ask him one further question. If the Israelis set up an adequate organisation would we support that without trying to amplify the organisation?

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, I think that raises a rather wide question, of which I should require notice. I should like to hear the noble Earl's own ideas. We should want to know, in the first place, how adequate it was, and then what degree of co-operation might be forthcoming from outside.

LORD BYERS

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl not to commit the Government to take a restrictive view of this matter, because all the Arab refugees, both inside and outside the present Israeli boundary, must be dealt with?

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that we want to take a very wide view of the matter, but, in a sense, the problem is to take a wide view and at the same time an urgent view.

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl if he has any information whether any of the refugees on the East Bank of Jordan are taking advantage of the offer from Israel to return to their homes and camps on the West Bank?

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

My Lords, we have no information beyond what is in the newspapers, but if the noble Marquess cares to put down a Question I am sure that I shall be able to give him most up-to-date information.