§ 3.55 p.m.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, with the indulgence of your Lordships House may I interrupt this interesting debate to repeat here a Statement that is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary concerning United States mediation in the dispute between Guatemala and the United Kingdom over British Honduras? The Statement is as follows:
"I am glad to be able to inform the House that copies of the Mediator's proposals have been placed in the Library of the House. These proposals envisage independence for British Honduras and a settlement of the dispute between the United Kingdom and Guatemala. We shall now study them in consultation with the Government of British Honduras, who have already been given the proposals. These proposals are being released publicly in British Honduras today.
"Until this process of consultation has been completed it would not be 895 appropriate for me to comment on their substance, beyond saying that Her Majesty's Government will of course give them very serious consideration. We hope that all others concerned will do the same.
"I wish to take this opportunity of paying tribute to the United States Government who agreed three years ago to undertake this mediation and to Ambassador Bethuel Webster, the Mediator, who has worked so long and so diligently to find a just and practical solution to this very difficult problem."
My Lords, that is the end of the Statement.
THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord for repeating that Statement here. We will certainly study it very carefully, as well as the proposals, which have just reached me but which I have not had an opportunity of studying carefully. I see that a draft treaty has already been drawn up between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Guatemala, and I hope I am right in saying that there is now no question of a "sell-out" of British Honduras. Certainly it seems clear from what the noble Lord has said that we are not going to cede sovereignty to Guatemala, despite Guatemala's claims, and I am glad to learn that it is intended to give British Honduras its independence. Subject to what the detailed proposals may contain, I think we must all welcome this Statement, as well as the role played by the United States Mediator.
I should like to ask the noble Lord one or two questions. First, is it intended to hold elections before independence? Then I notice in looking very quickly at this treaty that there are provisions about the docks. Is it intended that both Belize and Guatemala should be free ports ultimately; and what are the proposals regarding road communications between the two countries? May I also ask whether it is intended that this new country, Belize, should join the Central American common market?
§ LORD GLADWYNMy Lords, speaking on behalf of noble Lords on these Benches, I welcome the Statement made by the Government, and I should be equally interested to hear the answers to the questions formulated by the noble Earl, Lord Bessborough.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl and the noble Lord for their reaction to this Statement. I think it would be wrong of me to comment on the substance of the Mediator's proposals at this stage, until we, and others concerned, have had the chance to study them more closely. I therefore hope that both noble Lords will forgive me if I do not comment on the various points of substance concerning communications and the other matters, which will need to be studied much more closely before Her Majesty's Government can comment upon them.
So far as elections or any other form of reference to the people of British Honduras is concerned—the way in which the wishes of the people of British Honduras should be ascertained—I think this is one of the points on which we shall need to consult the Government of British Honduras. The noble Earl will be aware that both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition of British Honduras have said that if there are matters in the proposals which are controversial the will of the people will have to be determined, I think they said by means of referendum or some other suitable means to be agreed. So far as the adhesion of British Honduras to the Central American common market, or any other international organisation is concerned, that will of course be a matter for the independent Government.