§ LORD BROCKWAYMy 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 express their support for the Christmas appeal of the United Action for Nigeria/Biafra Committee, backed by all religious denominations and relief organisations for a £1,000.000 fund to prevent starvation in both territories.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD SHEPHERD)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government welcome private contributions to charitable appeals such as this, designed to help the victims on both sides of the war in Nigeria.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that Answer, may I ask whether, in view of the greater hopes now of some negotiations to end this war, Her Majesty's Government could seize this opportunity to make a great effort to prevent the starvation of what may be a million children on both sides in this war? And will Her Majesty's Government, in addition to what they have said in sympathy now, make some public declaration at Christmas time, urging that support should be given to prevent this appalling hunger?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I suspect my noble friend is going wider than 1102 the original Question on the Order Paper. The views of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the need and the manner in which supplies could be brought to the people of Biafra and in Nigeria as a whole are, I should have thought, well known.