HL Deb 28 June 1967 vol 284 cc165-6

2.39 p.m.

LORD ST. OSWALD

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 how and by what date will the manning-up of the six Hunter fighter aircraft assigned to the South Arabian Federation be completed: also the manning-up of the radio control network on which they will operationally depend: also what arrangements have been made for the training of the Federal Army, in the new more sophisticated weapons, including armoured fighting vehicles, to enable them to employ these weapons to maximum effect by the date of the 9th January, 1968.]

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, the manning of the Hunter aircraft in question (actually eight in number) and of their radio control network is the responsibility of the South Arabian Federal Government; I understand that they will be engaging on contract the necessary pilots and technical personnel to meet the immediate requirement. It is the intention that the necessary arrangements should be completed by independence.

The only new type of weapon to be supplied to the South Arabian Army under the increased aid announced on June 19 is the self-loading rifle, training in which can be easily arranged in South Arabia. The South Arabian Army is already being trained in the 25-pounder field gun—indeed, some of their guns are operational—and the Salad in and Ferret armoured cars, numbers of which have been supplied already as part of the strengthening of the Federal forces announced in June, 1966.

LORD ST. OSWALD

My Lords, this supplementary question refers only to the first part of my Question. May I ask the noble Lord whether Her Majesty's Government are in fact helping the Federal Government to obtain these weapons? As he said earlier, it is usual for helicopters to have pilots in them; I should not wish this to be an unusual case where eight Hunter aircraft were grounded for lack of any pilots at all.

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, the noble Lord's incisive mind has brought him to the central point. I am told that there are reasonable prospects of recruiting contract pilots in good time. It is primarily a matter for the Federal Government, but we shall certainly give, through the usual agencies, any help that we may be asked for in the recruitment of contract personnel, as in any other matter.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, may I ask whether the Government will look at this matter from a rather wider point of view than has been indicated in the Questions and supplementary questions from noble Lords opposite? May I ask whether there is not a very great danger of this country becoming identified with Sheikhdoms in South Arabia which will inevitably be swept away by the democratic Arab revolution?

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, has raised a very wide question which I think would have to be a subject for a much wider debate. I can only say that Her Majesty's Government considered very carefully what steps should be taken, the object of which, as I have said before, was to ensure the British withdrawal from South Arabia and that we should do our utmost to ensure stability after we have gone; and the events of the last few days have pointed to the risks.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, referred to "contract pilots". May I ask him what is the difference between contract pilots, which presumably Her Majesty's Government approve, and "mercenaries" which we have always understood they do not?

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, I thing that that is by nature of being a rhetorical question.