§ 2.38 p.m.
§ 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 what action is being taken to secure the widest representation at the Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm in June.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN)My Lords, on December 20 the United Nations General Assembly decided by an overwhelming majority that participation in the Stockholm Environment Conference should be open to Member States of the United Nations system. In order to ensure the widest possible representation. Her Majesty's Government and other Western Governments have stated their willingness to see countries outside the United Nations system participate at working level.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while appreciating that Answer very much, may I ask whether there is not a great danger that this tremendously hopeful Conference to deal with pollution, world-wide, may be hindered in its representative character by the earlier decision to exclude East Germany while West Germany was allowed as a full member? Would the Minister say what steps are being taken to remedy this position, and whether Her Majesty's Government will take the 665 initiative in representing it at the next General Assembly whose present resolution excludes East Germany?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, we all agree that we want this Conference to take place and to succeed, and we naturally hope to see the widest possible representation at the Conference. I think that the feeling behind the United Nations resolution, in so far as it affected the East German Government, was that to afford full Government status at this moment to East Germany might prejudice the negotiations going on between the two parts of Germany with regard to a more suitable modus vivendi in the future. I need not tell the noble Lord that this resolution was adopted by an enormous majority—something over 100, I believe, were in favour of it—and it was only the Eastern bloc who raised this rather political matter. Nevertheless, we hope that this will not prejudice in any way the success of the Conference.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, did it not become a political matter as soon as the Federal Republic of Germany was admitted, solely on the grounds that she was a member of one of the Specialised Agencies although not of the United Nations itself? Has not the noble Marquess seen the suggestion put forward in some quarters that this problem could be resolved quite simply by admitting the German Democratic Republic to one of the United Nations Agencies, such as the International Atomic Agency, which would bring her within the terms of this resolution? May I ask him to use his good offices to see that this is done before the Conference is wrecked?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I will certainly take note of what the noble Lord has said on this matter. Naturally, we do not want to see the Conference fail. Personally, I do not think it is likely to be wrecked, but I will certainly take note of what he has said.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, is the Minister aware that his second reply is much less reassuring than his first reply, because it indicates that the difficulties are still continuing? In view of the fact that if the problem of world environment is to he dealt with it must be by some agreement between East and West, as it 666 affects the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Caspian, will Her Majesty's Government give us an assurance that they will do everything in their power to overcome the present difficulties for which they have some responsibility as sponsoring the General Assembly resolution?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I will certainly note what the noble Lord has said in this regard. I do not think that the difficulties are those made either by Her Majesty's Government or by the majority of the members of the United Nations. I think such difficulties as there are in this matter—and I recognise that there is a problem —have been raised by the Eastern bloc. I hope that perhaps they may be able to see how important it is that this Conference should succeed and that any difficulties may be ironed out.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, has my noble friend noticed that in the view of the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, this country is equally wrong when it agrees with the majority of the United Nations as when it is in a minority?