§ 2.43 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 whether they will use their good offices to deter the Portuguese Government from any plans to attack Tanzania from Mozambique.
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIENo my Lords. We have no knowledge of any planned Portuguese attack from Mozambique on Tanzania.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, is not the noble Baroness being a little diplomatic in that reply? Is not our Intelligence Service aware that for weeks consultations have been taking place between representatives of Portugal, the military command in Mozambique and isolated dissidents in Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Rhodesia, fearful for a break in its road and rail contact with Beira; and may not these situations spark off a very dangerous white-black war in Southern Africa?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, I have seen certain reports in the newspapers but I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, would not expect Her Majesty's Government to make representations to foreign Governments on the basis of unsubstantiated reports.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, if we are to have questions on hypothetical situations about which there is not concrete evidence, may I ask whether Her Majesty's Government would equally use their good offices to deter the Egyptian Government from attack on Israel, and to prevent any pos- 710 sibility of an attack on Rhodesia by Tanzania—because they are just as valid as the Question on the Order Paper?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, I quite agree with my noble friend that one cannot answer hypothetical questions. Alas! however, I cannot answer any hypothetical questions about Israel or Rhodesia because they do not appear on the Order Paper.
§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURYMy Lords, may I ask a question which I do not think it hypothetical? Will my noble friend use her good offices to prevent Tanzania from supporting those who are already attacking Mozambique?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, if my noble friend cares to put down a Question on the Order Paper on that subject perhaps I shall be in a position to answer it.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, reverting to the original Question, since no military action is likely to occur other than the pursuit of terrorists based in Tanzania, I agree that this Question gives emphasis to the general disquiet over the action of the united Nations in seating recognised Communist terrorist organisations on its committees, thereby appearing to give recognition to terrorism.
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, so far as terrorism is concerned, my noble friend, Lord Barnby, asked me a Question about this the other day to which I replied that we objected to the seating of these organisations. In regard to the main Question, we have no reason whatever to suppose that the Portuguese are contemplating an attack on Tanzania.
§ BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOEMy Lords, while gladly accepting the need for the noble Baroness to be "diplomatic", as my noble friend said she had been, may I ask whether she is aware, as she must be, of the report by Major Wadsworth-Bell that he had been asked to participate in a plan of attack on Tanzania from these sources? As President Nyerere's Government is one of the most stable in Africa, may I ask Her Majesty's Government to keep an eye on unholy alliances between Libya, Uganda, Portugal and the others who have been mentioned?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, we have of course made it quite clear—I am sure that the Portuguese Government is absolutely in no doubt about this—that Her Majesty's Government would take a grave view of any attack by Portugal on an independent African country. In regard to the original Question, we have no substantiated evidence that that is even contemplated.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that my information is dependent not on any newspaper reports but on direct communications with the countries concerned? Is it not vitally important that Britain should now crown its record in liberating colonial territories? Is the noble Baroness proud of the fact that yesterday in the United Nations General Assembly we were one of a minority of six against a vote of 98, and that our allies were a reactionary coalition of the world—ourselves, the United States, Portugal, Spain, Brazil and South Africa? Is the noble Baroness proud of those allies?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, before my noble friend answer that supplementary, may I ask whether she recollects that pages 68 and 69 of the Companion to Standing Orders points out that supplementary questions are designed specifically to elicit information from the Government and not for expressions or statements of opinion? Will she consider pointing those paragraphs out to the noble Lord, Lord Brockway?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, perhaps I could recommend to the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, that he refresh his memory of those particular paragraphs. I would only say that the reason why we voted against that particular resolution, which was of considerable length, was because it included a reference to so-called liberation movements of which we have always said we do not approve.
§ LORD SHINWELLMy Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness to reply to what, after all, is the main point? Is it not true that at the United Nations a vote of the kind mentioned by my noble friend, Lord Brockway, actually took place and that the United Kingdom voted as he suggested? Is she aware of that?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, I regret to say that the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, was obviously not listening to my last reply. I would only add that that raises another question.