HL Deb 13 March 1973 vol 340 cc153-6

2.47 p.m.

LORD BARNBY

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 whether they will discourage Ministers from calling African terrorists "Freedom Fighters" both on general moral grounds and more particularly because, taken together with the attitude of the World Council of Churches, this approach is having deleterious effects on the practice of Christianity.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)

No, my Lords. Reference to names or titles in current use does not imply acceptance of those in question at their own valuation, or approval of their aims and activities. Nor would I subscribe to the premise that all freedom fighters must necessarily be terrorists, or all terrorists freedom fighters.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, arising out of that reply may I ask the noble Baroness whether she is aware, as I am, of reports in the overseas Press where religious, regular churchgoing people, because of their consciences have been obliged to renounce church attendance because of the support given by the World Council of Churches to terrorist organisations whether it be in South Africa, Israel, Rhodesia, Ulster, Mozambique or Angola? Also is she aware that the foreign Press attribute their faults, I hope wrongly, to the Prime Minister?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I am not sure to what report the noble Lord refers in connection with the Prime Minister. Her Majesty's Government have no responsibility for the World Council of Churches' support for movements calling themselves liberation movements. We greatly deplore the donation of funds to any organisation which uses violence to achieve political ends.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness whether she will give thought to the support that her words, when uttered here, give to actions which have taken place all over the world, and which, since I put my Question down, have been brought nearer to home by the dastardly actions and the inhumanity of these terrorist organisations?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I do not see how the noble Lord could interpret what I said in the way that he has. I should like to repeat it. I said that we deplore the donation of funds to any organisation which uses violence to achieve political ends.

BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOE

My Lords, would the noble Baroness agree that while there may be many happenings which have deleterious effects on the practice of Christianity, showing sympathy for oppressed peoples is not one of them?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I think that there is a distinction between a "liberation movement" and a "freedom fighter". The latter has recently acquired a militant and violent meaning, although I do not suggest that such a person is necessarily within the law.

LORD WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness whether she is really correct, not in her last reply but the reply she gave before that? Is it not a fact that the World Council of Churches has given money to two guerrilla / terrorist freedom fighter organisations, not to help them to pursue a violent course but to relieve destitution of the families in those two concerns?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, as I said earlier, Her Majesty's Government have no responsibility for the actions of the World Council of Churches. However, applications to give funds to support groups who are seeking the violent overthrow of Governments would certainly not be approved in cases where Treasury sanction is required.

THE LORD BISHOP OF ROCHESTER

My Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness whether she is aware that the World Council of Churches, which does reflect world and not British or white opinion, has by these very small token grants in fact given strength and encouragement in their faith to some of those who are suffering under the institutionalised violence of some régimes?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I am sure that the right reverend Prelate would have more knowledge of the ways in which the World Council of Churches are seeking to distribute their funds. While we sympathise with the aspirations of people trying to exercise self-determination, I should like to repeat that we cannot condone the use of violence to achieve political ends.