RHODESIA: UNITED NATIONS AND SANCTIONS (Hansard, 20 June 1973)

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)
My Lords, the Security Council adopted Resolution No. 333 on May 22. The United Kingdom, the United States, and France, abstained on the vote. Although the resolution contained recommendations about sanctions enforcement which had been agreed unanimously by the United Nations Sanctions Supervisory Committee, it also contained proposals which Her Majesty's Government and others could not accept.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, while welcoming the noble Baroness back from America, and not wishing to be too severe on her after her all-night journey, may I ask her whether there were not two resolutions, and is it not the case that on the first resolution the British representative explained that it was opposed because it was desirable to tighten sanctions? How was it, then, that on the second resolution tightening sanctions the British representative abstained?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his welcome, I would point out that what we said on the first resolution was that although there was much in it with which we agreed, it did call for certain measures relating to conditions of contracts—for example, with South African firms—which we did not think would be enforceable because we already have controls to that end. On the second resolution, we, with the United States of America, vetoed it because it called for new sanctions measures, and we feel that what is necessary is to make the existing ones effective.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, why then, was it that the British Government opposed the resolution tightening sanctions?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, perhaps I did not make myself clear. The United Kingdom controls specifically forbid the sale of goods to Rhodesia through intermediaries. The first resolution called for new sanctions, and this was one of the things which we felt was impracticable.

§ LORD CARADON
My Lords, would the noble Baroness be good enough to tell us what action is contemplated by the Government in regard to the recent disclosures in the Press, particularly in regard to the sale of British goods through a Dutch firm to Rhodesia, reported in the Daily Mirror several weeks ago? Would she also be prepared to say what action is contemplated against the Lonrho Company, and whether prosecutions against the directors of that company are contemplated in respect of their financing of copper mining operations in Rhodesia and also the financing of the export of minerals from Rhodesia?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, so far as the first part of the noble Lord's question is concerned, Her Majesty's Government are investigating specific allegations about breaches of United Kingdom sanctions controls, and my Department is in touch with the newspapers. On the second question, I do not think that it would be right tor me at this moment to comment on a matter which seems likely to come before the investigation of 1353 Lonrho's affairs which is being conducted by inspectors appointed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALE
My Lords, may I ask my noble friend Lady Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie whether she will represent to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that it would be better to abandon these sanctions entirely, for the good reason that they do not help Britain, they do not help Rhodesia, and least of all the black people in Rhodesia? They are therefore out of date, useless, and should become a matter of history.

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, I am afraid that I could not make such representations to my right honourable friend, who has said on many occasions that the status quo, including sanctions, must remain while we search for a settlement.

§ LORD CARADON
My Lords, would the noble Baroness make a comment on the fact that we seem to rely on the newspapers for our investigations and actions in regard to breaches of sanctions rather than on the efforts of Her Majesty's Government? In particular, would she say why Her Majesty's Government have opposed the appointment of a United Nations Commissioner on sanctions against Rhodesia?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, I only mentioned that we were in touch with newspapers because the noble Lord mentioned it and because this particular matter was the subject of some publicity. But of course if we have reasons to believe that sanctions are being breached in other ways, we send Notes to the United Nations Sanctions Committee. On the second point, it is not a fact that we have opposed the appointment of a United Nations Commissioner. It was in fact a unanimous recommendation made by the Committee, and I understand that they are now considering the appointment of such a person who would advise and work with the Committee in sanctions enforcement.

§ LORD SEGAL
My Lords, has not the whole attitude of the Security Council in the matter of sanctions against Rhodesia been deplorably weak; and is this not 1354 a reflection of the growing weakness and ineptitude of the United Nations itself?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, the United Nations is only as good as its members, and I would agree with the noble Lord that it is most important that countries other than our own do their best to enforce sanctions if they are to mean something. We have ourselves had 18 prosecutions in this country of British firms, and we have sent over 170 Notes to the United Nations.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, one understands the delicate position of the noble Baroness in relation to the Lonrho inquiry. But in view of the fact that allegations have been made in regard to Lonrho subsidiaries, will she look at what I believe is the position, which is that the present inquiry does not cover the subsidiary companies of Lonrho, and that if the Government wish to pursue this matter further powers may be needed by the commission of inquiry?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, although the inquiry by inspectors does not specifically involve overseas companies, I understand that if the inspectors felt it was necessary to clarify the situation at the headquarters of the company in London, they would ask for such information.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, in the light of the noble Baroness's view on sanctions, are we to take it that the commission of inquiry will be looking into the operations of the subsidiary companies?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, I could not give an assurance on that point, because it depends entirely on whether the inspectors investigating the affairs of the headquarters of the company in London feel that it is necessary.

§ BARONESS GAITSKELL
My Lords, is it not true that our record on sanctions is quite a good one in all the circumstances? Is it not also true that we underestimate the effect which sanctions, however weak, have on the Rhodesian Government?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, I would 1355 entirely agree with the noble Baroness that our record in the United Kingdom on sanctions is very good. If all other countries were as good, the problem would not be what it is to-day.

§ LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD
My Lords, while the observance of sanctions is of course of first importance, will my noble friend bear in mind that their effectiveness is not an end in itself, and that the end is to restore proper relations between ourselves and Rhodesia and to bring them back to the path of rectitude? Will my noble friend also bear in mind that most of us are really much keener on that than on seeing the complete observance of sanctions?

§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, I am sure my noble friend realises that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has done his utmost to try to achieve a settlement between all Rhodesians. This is the object of keeping sanctions on at the present time, quite apart from the fact that they are mandatory under the United Nations.

§ LORD CARADON
My Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for the replies she gave to the questions that I asked just now—and I appreciate the answer which were given may I ask finally whether she will confirm that it is the policy of this Government to maintain and strengthen sanctions against the illegal regime in order to achieve an agreed settlement in which all the people of Rhodesia can participate?

BARONSS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE
My Lords, the policy of Her Majesty's Government is as it has always been stated, which is to do our best to encourage all races within Rhodesia to come together to try to sort out their differences, and to come to an agreement. During that time we maintain the status quo.