HL Deb 11 November 1971 vol 325 cc463-4

3.14 p.m.

LORD BROCKWAY

My 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 on what grounds they have rejected an investigation into the allegations that apartheid-likeconditions exist in St. Helena.]

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has received no authoritative evidence or advice that such conditions exist.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, is the noble Earl not aware, first, that a leading trade union official in St. Helena has made these allegations; and, secondly, that a Member of another place has had an interview with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on this matter? Is it therefore accurate for the noble Earl to say that he has had no intimation of it? Also, is he prepared to authorise a Parliamentary delegation, which might include a Member of another place, to visit St. Helena to find out whether or not these allegations are true?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, it is perfectly true that a Member of another place has had an interview with my right honourable friend, but the evidence he produced in that interview was entirely anonymous, and it is up to Her Majesty's Government to decide how best to balance anonymous allegations with the duties and authority of the Governor. It is Her Majesty's Government's view that the authority of the Governor was in this case correct.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, is it not clear that if there is truth in these allegations—and I do not know whether there is—they would require to be anonymous if the complainant was not to suffer? Are Her Majesty's Government aware of the fact that it was a well-known trade union official who made this complaint?

EARL FERRERS

No, my Lords. It was specifically made anonymous at the request, or instigation, of a Member of another place. There is a representative Government in St. Helena and no complaints or objections have been levelled at Her Majesty's Government from this representative Government. would further point out to the noble Lord that the Question which he put down relates to apartheid,which was not the substance of the representations made to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary.