HL Deb 22 June 1967 vol 283 cc1539-40

3.10 p.m.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government what total contributions towards the maintenance of the Palestine Arab Refugees have been made to date by Her Majesty's Government, the United States and Soviet Russia respectively.]

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, by the end of 1966 Her Majesty's Government and the United States Government had contributed respectively 95,524,004 dollars and 387,368,069 dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The Government of the Soviet Union has contributed nothing.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that reply, may I ask him this question? Since Soviet Russia has already taken sides on this issue and proclaimed herself as champion of the Arab cause, what steps are Her Majesty's Government taking to induce her to support the Arab cause on humanitarian grounds as well as on military and political grounds?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, again I have to say that the power of any one Government in this respect is bound to be limited. It is true that the Soviet Union has obviously taken sides on this question and one can only hope that it will see, as we have seen, the real human problems which are at stake in the Middle East and will do something to help to cure them and to reslove them. But I fear that there is very little we can do to make the Soviet Union see, as we and the United States have seen, where the real human problems lie here.

LORD MOLSON

My Lords, will Her Majesty's Government ensure that these interesting figures are published over the British Broadcasting Corporation's Arabic Service?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I think that the figures have been published before on many occasions. Indeed, when this was a matter of some critical world tension some years ago I think they were given very considerable publicity. But I will bear that suggestion in mind.

BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY

My Lords, will Her Majesty's Government undertake that the next time a speech on refugees is made by our representative at the United Nations these figures will be loudly proclaimed?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, I cannot give an undertaking now that any particular section or passage will occur in a speech made in the United Nations, but again I will take note of that suggestion.

LORD PEDDIE

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether the whole of the amount contributed by Her Majesty's Government is administered by the United Nations Organisation exclusively?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, the sum that I have just mentioned is the sum contributed to this particular organisation, to UNRWA, for the maintenance of Palestine Arab refugees, and is administered by that organisation.

LORD SEGAL

My Lords, would it not be highly significant if Soviet Russia could now come forward and make a first contribution to the solution of this very urgent and desperate need?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course it would be highly significant, and I share with my noble friend a devout wish that she might do so.