HL Deb 13 June 1967 vol 283 cc802-5

2.40 p.m.

LORD INGLEWOOD

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 why they are withdrawing support from the Agricultural Research Council of Central Africa.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD BESWICK)

My Lords, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has given notice of its intention to withdraw with effect from June 30, 1967, from the Agricultural Research Council, the other members of which are Rhodesia and Malawi. Her Majesty's Government were unable to agree to continue to support on a two-country basis a Council whose research would be almost wholly based upon Rhodesia.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, did I understand from that reply that Her Majesty's Government are doing what they can for this valuable institution to continue?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the noble Lord could understand that, but it would require a certain amount of effort to do so. The position is that Zambia is withdrawing. We, the United Kingdom, are not members of this Council. We have, however, supported it. What we cannot do is to support work which, as I have said, is almost wholly based in Rhodesia. I hope that a good deal of work will continue now in Malawi, and we are negotiating a way of financing that work.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, is this not a rather short-sighted attitude?—because research, first of all, is a long-term business; and secondly, whatever happens in Rhodesia is going to help the other parts of Africa. Surely we should not take our quarrel with Rhodesia to such an extent as to affect the future of research on agricultural production in Africa.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the noble Lord is displaying less than his usual sense of fairness. What we undertook to do, in the first place, was to support financially a body which was a Federal effort comprising the three countries. We should be happy to continue to support financially a Federal effort of that kind, and indeed, despite the illegal declaration of independence, we did continue to provide financial support. It is not a decision of Her Majesty's Government that any one country should withdraw.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, whether or not this remains a Federal effort, may I ask the noble Lord this question? Will he not overlook the fact that the work of this Research Council promises to have immense value in an area where anything that can be done to improve agricultural standards will be of enormous benefit, and not least to parts of Africa far beyond the boundaries of these two or three countries? Will he deny to millions of Africans the benefit of this research, just, as it would seem, because he wants to spite a few whites?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the noble Lord will get nowhere with that sort of language. The noble Lord used the words "spite a few whites". I have said that Her Majesty's Government have supported this effort, despite the illegal declaration of independence, and would have continued to support it had the three countries who were members remained members. But it is not any wish of ours that Zambia has decided to withdraw. I entirely agree with the noble Lord, that the work done at that centre was by far the best of all that has been done in Africa, and it is a great pity that it cannot continue. But under the new situation caused by the withdrawal of Zambia, some of the work will be done separately in Zambia, and some in Malawi; and I have already said that we agree to support the work done in Malawi.

LORD WEDGWOOD

My Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that the withdrawal of funds from the Agricultural Research Council of Central Africa is detrimental to the interests of all races who live in Central Africa, and especially so when the need for greater production of food at this time, with a growing and bursting population, is, after all, paramount?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, probably the noble Lord will be good enough to see what I have said about this. No one would have been happier than Her Majesty's Government, and certainly not happier than myself, if it had been possible to continue this work on a three-country basis. But, let us face it, this is one of the incidental tragedies of the illegal declaration of independence, which was no fault of ours.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, if Her Majesty's Government think that the work of this institution is so valuable, surely it would be petty to say that it must be on a three-country basis. Surely it can be carried on a two-country basis. Or it might even be a three-country basis, because Portuguese East Africa might come in, or Kenya.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, of the three countries in that part of Africa, probably the most deserving is Malawi. The work needed to be done there is greater than in the other countries. Malawi proposes to take over some of the work, and we shall give financial support.

THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGH

My Lords, while associating ourselves very much with the previous questions asked, may I ask this question? Is the Agricultural Research Council in this country helping in any way in this part of the world? I know that the A.R.C. has certain tropical sections. Could the noble Lord tell me this?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I cannot answer that question except to say that, as the noble Earl will know, in the scientific field there is always a very close relationship. But as to the direct connection, I could not say without notice.