§ 2.28 p.m.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an observer was sent to the Conference of African Governments and officials of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa held at Addis Ababa to consider the problem of African refugees.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD SHACKLETON)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government were represented at this Conference by a member of the British Embassy in Addis Ababa, who was registered as a "country participant" 1646 rather than as an "observer". The Ambassador attended the opening session.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he appreciates that I welcome that reply? Has any report of this Conference been received? In view of the fact that there are now 750,000 refugees in Africa, and probably 2 million if one includes those in Nigeria, will the Government give the greatest possible help towards their settlement?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I share the noble Lord's implicit anxiety about the development of this really awful and large problem. The Conference closed only on October 18, and the full report has not yet been received. A final statement was issued, with a number of recommendations which are to be presented at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers for the Organisation of African Unity. None of these recommendations, I am informed, contains any specific request for action on the part of Her Majesty's Government. But I can undertake to the noble Lord that we shall give it careful consideration, and that this country, which has a very fine record in regard to refugees—we are the second largest contributor of refugee funds—will naturally be extremely sympathetic to this problem. If the noble Lord wants any further information I shall be happy to give him as much as I can, either privately or in the House. But this problem does not really impinge very directly on our responsibilities.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, again thanking my noble friend for that answer, may I, in view of the fact a number of Commonwealth countries are involved, ask whether co-operation will be taken with the Commonwealth Secretariat in dealing with this matter?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, that is an interesting suggestion. This particular Conference was confined to African countries, and obviously certain countries, such as Britain and France, had special interests. I cannot express a view on that suggestion, but I will see that it is noted.