§ 2.30 p.m.
§ LORD GRIMSTON OF WESTBURYMy 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 they will make a statement concerning the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly's Special Committee on Colonialism refusing to accept petitions from people in Aden accusing the Egyptians of fomenting terrorism, with special reference to its effect on the forthcoming visit of the United Nations mission to Aden.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD BESWICK)My Lords, my noble friend Lord Caradon has already made clear, in the Special Committee itself, the British Government's dismay at the discrimination shown by that Committee in this instance. It is virtually unprecedented and wholly objectionable. Her Majesty's Government find this action particularly unhelpful at a time when the United Nations Mission is about to visit South Arabia to make recommendations for the future of the territory, and when it is therefore so important that the views of every person should be equally and freely available. I am, however, glad to add that all the petitions were circulated as a Security Council document on March 11 at the request of the Saudi Arabian delegate to the United Nations.
§ LORD GRIMSTON OF WESTBURYMy Lords, may I thank the Minister for 280 that reply and express my appreciation of the attitude which Her Majesty's Government have adopted? Arising out of that, can the noble Lord tell me first of all whether there are any members of the proposed United Nations' Mission who are nationals of the countries which supported this biased resolution? Can he also tell me whether the Government will consider taking their protest somewhat further and, in the absence of any definite indication that this Mission will be impartial when it gets to Aden, whether they will consider postponing or withdrawing its permission to go there, as there are indications that its arrival will in any case cause much more embarrassment to our security forces than they are subject to at the moment?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I think it would be wholly wrong to talk about postponing the Mission. We have great hopes that it will prove to be very helpful in the present situation. So far as the membership of the Mission is concerned, I should hesitate to say that it includes members of nations which supported the action taken in the Committee of 24. Certainly there are members of the Committee on the Mission, but as to the particular line which the individual nations took on that occasion, I should not like to say anything without notice.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that if in fact there are some members of the Mission who are nationals of those countries it would make a great deal of difference to the way in which their report was received in this country?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I think the difficulty here is that almost all nations have expressed views one way or the other on the problems in South Arabia, and it would be very difficult to get representatives of any nations which could be said to be wholly independent of the problem. We have had great difficulty in getting agreement on the composition of the Mission. I understand the point which the noble Lord has made, but I think that the important thing now is to get the Mission out into the field, so that it can have a look for itself at just what we have had to contend with in recent years.
§ LORD ROWLEYMy Lords, in view of the fact that, so far as my knowledge 281 goes, this constitutes a precedent, would not my noble friend agree that this Special Committee is responsible to the General Assembly? Is this Committee to be allowed to get away with it, or is it intended in due course to raise the matter at the General Assembly so that a ruling can be given as to whether a Special Committee should be allowed to refuse to receive petitions which are quite consistent with the provisions of the United Nations' Charter?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, as I said, a way was found of ensuring that the petitions were circulated, so that the Committee of 24's attempt to stifle these petitions was not successful. But I understand what my noble friend has said about the principle involved, and certainly the point he has made will be considered.
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, will this not greatly destroy the respect for this Committee's decisions on other petitions which they do select and decide to hear?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, speaking as one who is a great supporter of the United Nations, I hope it will not be misunderstood if I say that the respect held by some people for this particular Committee is already very low. Whether it is going to be caused to fall lower by this action, I should not like to say.
§ LORD GRIMSTON OF WESTBURYMy Lords, as I quite understand that the noble Lord could not answer my question, would he circulate in the Official Report the names of the countries of which the members of the Mission are nationals and the way those countries voted, if at all, in the Colonial Committee?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I am not quite sure about circulating it in the Official Report, but I will certainly see that the information is sent to the noble Lord.