§ 3.34 p.m.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, with the permission of the House, I would now reply to the Private Notice Question asked by my noble friend Lord Brockway earlier this afternoon. Perhaps the House would wish to be reminded of the Question. It is:
"To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken to meet the refusal of the Nigerian Federal Government to allow relief by airlift to the hungry thousands in Biafra."
The position is not that the Federal Government of Nigeria have refused to allow relief supplies by air. The truth is that this is an extremely difficult and delicate problem which is at present under discussion between the International Red Cross and the Federal Government and also between the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, and his relief advisory team and the Federal Government. I do not want to say anything this afternoon that could be an obstacle to a successful outcome of those discussions, and I hope, therefore, that my noble friend will not press me. I can, however, say that the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, has already been in communication with us about certain standby precautions which may be helpful in saving time when specific recommendations from him have been received.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that Answer, I must assure him that I do not want to say anything which will make the situation more difficult. May I ask him whether it would not be possible to propose to both the Biafran authorities and the Nigerian Federal Government that inspection of relief, either by air or by road, should be given to the International Red Cross in order to prevent any diversion of supplies from food and medicine to arms? Is he aware that I have written to both Colonel Ojukwu of Biafra and General Gowon making that proposal? Secondly, may I ask him whether he is aware that I based my Question on the Press reports of what the Nigerian Federal Government have said, and I understand that since then they have indicated that authorised flights would be 659 allowed. May I submit to him that if we are to secure the co-operation of the Biafran authorities in this matter, Her Majesty's Government should cease sending arms to the Nigerian Government? While it sends those arms is there any hope that we shall secure the co-operation of the Biafran Government which may relieve this tragic situation of thousands, and it may be millions, dying.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I have made our position, our policy on arms, perfectly clear to the Federal Government of Nigeria on many occasions, and I have nothing further to add. In regard to the first part of my noble friend's supplementary, I understand that the Federal Government are willing, and have always been willing, to co-operate with the International Red Cross in the matter of emergency supplies of food and medicine into the troubled areas of Nigeria.
§ LORD BROOKE OF CUMNORMy Lords, are the Government aware that until relief is reaching these starving people the whole British people will continue to feel a certain sense of guilt? This is a country which until a few years ago was under the control of this Parliament. Now it is ravaged by civil war and children are starving. There must be no Party differences between us, because compassion for starving children should override all Party divisions and all legalistic arguments.
§ LORD GLADWYNMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friends on these Benches I should like to associate our-serves very strongly with what the noble Lord, Lord Brooke of Cumnor, has just said. I think that what he has said represents our view in this matter entirely. While we appreciate that on this subject of a possible airlift the Government must be very largely dependent on the advice which they will receive from the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, and his team, may I ask this question? Would it not be possible for the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, to arrange for a representative of the Nigerian Government to be associated directly on the spot with any despatch of food or medical supplies that may be organised and, therefore, for them to be in a position to verify directly that nothing else is being delivered?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I am very grateful for the words of the noble Lord, Lord Brooke of Cumnor. I think he is right that we all share a sense of guilt—I am not sure whether "guilt" is quite the right word, but any rate a sense of disappointment that the foundations which we sought to lay in Nigeria did not hold firm so that we could see a happy Nigeria. I recognise that my noble friend Lord Brockway's persistence is due to the fact that this is something in which he passionately believes. I only hope that he will accept that I and my other colleagues in the Commonwealth feel just as passionately, and perhaps even with a greater sense of burden, in that it falls to us to seek, by negotiations, not only immediate relief in this area but, what is more important, a long-term solution in that territory.
One must be careful what one says. One does not wish to appear to be partisan on one side or the other. In reply to the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, on the question of the International Red Cross and the supply and inspection of relief, I would say that this is something which is very much in our minds, particularly if we can get a daylight airlift as an interim measure until we are able to get the corridors of mercy open.
§ LORD WILLISMy Lords, I accept and very much welcome what the noble Lord has said. I know nobody whose sympathies are more engaged in this matter than the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, and I very much respect the efforts which he is making. Compassion is not a monopoly of any one person or any one side in this matter. Of course I understand the difficulties, but it occurs to me that we are getting a little bogged down by red tape and by protocol. Is there not some new and fresh initiative that we can take—because the lives of children do not wait upon red tape or protocol—perhaps through the United Nations, to break this deadlock rather than to engage in continued negotiations which every moment are costing lives?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I am glad that the noble Lord has put his supplementary in that tone, which is different from the atmosphere which prevailed earlier on the oral question. I hope that my noble friend will accept that we are considering all possible means 661 of bringing about a long-term settlement, and also short-term relief, to this unhappy country. But, as I said in my original reply, at this stage I would ask your Lordships not to press us, while giving you the firm assurance that we are doing all that is humanly possible to find a solution.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, although I do not want to press any course that would he embarrassing, in view of the urgency of the situation, the deaths which are occurring every minute and which will mount, can we not approach this matter as though it were a great natural calamity, such as an earthquake? In those circumstances would not the whole world go to the rescue of these hungry, starving and dying people? Is it not possible now to secure a massive airlift by all the sympathetic voluntary organisations, the Governments and the Agencies of the United Nations, which may be able to save thousands, and indeed millions, from death?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I fully accept what the noble Lord has said, but he must recognise that there are two parties to this unhappy dispute. We have been able to accept an agreement by one party, but there has been a complete and utter rejection by the other party. Therefore this has created severe difficulties, difficulties which at present we are trying to resolve.
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, could the noble Lord give an assurance that the Royal Air Force Air Support Command remains available to undertake a massive airlift, when and if such an airlift is approved by the Nigerian authorities?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the Royal Air Force Support Command is willing and ready to give what help and assistance it is required to give, provided that we have the necessary agreement of the Federal Government. I do not have any doubt about that.
LORD REAMy Lords, is it expected that there will be a local base for this Command, or will they operate from this country—and if it is a local base, which?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, one supplementary mentioned air support from this country in terms of an airlift 662 of food and medicine. Clearly there would need to be a base at the other end to receive the goods, but I am sure that in the end it will be better, when we deliver supplies, to do so through the International Red Cross, who are trying to co-ordinate the activities of a number of organisations which are in the field to give help.