§ 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 any proposals were considered during the recent visit of the Secretary for Defence to Oman for negotiations to end the ten years' war.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, during the course of my recent visit to Oman I was able to meet the Sultan and to discuss with him a number of matters of mutual interest, including his plans for the Dhofar campaign and for the future development of the province. There is no evidence that either the hard core of the dissidents or those 2 who provide shelter and support will settle for less than the overthrow of the Sultan. I believe that his plans are the best way of bringing the rebellion to an end and of fostering peace and stability.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask him this question? Is it not the fact that South Yemen and North Yemen are now negotiating for union a hope that some more moderate policy may be followed in South Yemen? Secondly, is not the detente between the West, Britain, and the Soviet Union and China—the two sides arming both forces—a reason why some negotiation should begin to bring peace in this area?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, if there should be a settlement between the North and South Yemen that would be very good. As the noble Lord knows, the rebels in the Dhofar are being supported by the P.D.R.Y., and it is only for the P.D.R.Y. to stop supporting the rebels for the rebellion to come to an end.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I put one further supplementary? Is the noble Lord able to give the House any particulars of the British deaths and the casualties which have been announced over the weekend in Oman? And could he, on behalf of the Government, express some sympathy towards Yemen in the appalling disaster which has occurred this morning, with heavy loss of life, ambassadorial life, on the plane that has crashed?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, perhaps the noble Lord would put down a Question about his first supplementary. I am afraid I could not, without Notice, give any details on that. With regard to the second supplementary question, I think everybody in the House always deplores loss of life in accidents of this kind and we send our sympathy to the relatives.