§ 2.58 p.m.
§ Earl COWLEYMy 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 they are taking to protect the interests and property of British citizens in Cyprus.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are doing all they can to protect the interests and property of British citizens in Cyprus. The High Commissioner is in constant touch with the British residents, both directly and through the United Kingdom Citizens Association. The situation in the Turkish-occupied areas is far from satisfactory, and repeated representations have been made to the authorities both in Cyprus and in Turkey.
Ear1 COWLEYMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. When will the Government realise that they have a very real responsibility to British subjects in Cyprus, and when will they provide concrete and substantial help to these people, possibly in the form of ex gratia payments or legal assistance? Also, could the noble Lord make available in the Library a copy of the document sent by the High Commission in Nicosia to British subjects on the Island, so that the House may see how ineffectual and ambivalent the Government have been in this matter?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I had hoped that the noble Earl, in making his strictures, might have advanced suggestions on how we could improve our performance. Perhaps he will do so on another occasion. I will indeed make every endeavour to put every relevant document in the Library for the information of the House. I think that one or two have already been made available, and I will look into the matter. As to what more we can do than to press hard on the Turkish authorities in Ankara, Kyrenia and Nicosia, that is a matter for very careful consideration 1021 especially in view of the fact that the talks in Vienna are to be resumed in June, and that they have so far made certain progress. We deeply sympathise with the British residents who have suffered considerable damage to property or have lost property in Cyprus. I think the final resolution of their complaints must await a proper solution of the problem on the Island, and I should be misleading the House if I held out too high hopes for an early solution of this matter.
§ Lord MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, as Britain shares with Greece and Turkey, by treaty, official responsibility for the wellbeing of Cyprus, can the noble Lord tell us what has been done in the last few weeks to support the negotiations which Mr. Denktash and Mr. Clerides are hopefully having in Cyprus, and which the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers themselves are having, to bring peace to this Island? Bound up with that is the safety of the property and the lives of our own people there.
Lord GORON WY-ROBERTSMy Lords, we have been very active in strongly supporting exchanges in Vienna and elsewhere—both in Cyprus, Athens and Ankara. I do not think the noble Lord should for a moment be anxious about the way in which Her Majesty's Government have been supporting these latest efforts to secure a solution.
§ Lord SLATERMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that it would appear from the original Question from the noble Earl, and from his supplementary question, that he is laying charges at the door of Her Majesty's Government that they are seeking to evade their responsibility on this issue so far as Greece and Turkey are concerned? Many of us on this side of the House have taken particular notice of the attitude of Her Majesty's Government for some time, and we are quite satisfied—
§ Several Noble Lords: Question!
§ Lord SLATERMy Lords, is my noble friend aware—when some of these people begin to "pipe down" a little—that many of us believe there is only one course here, and that is the action that Her Majesty's Government are already taking with the object of bringing 1022 the two parties together to solve this particular issue?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend. Our highest responsibility is so to act and speak as not to disturb the tenuous hope of a solution based on the acquiescence of both communities on the island.
§ Lord BALNIELBut, my Lords, is the noble Lord aware that most people will regard this threat as a remarkable ingratitude, considering the efforts which were made by the British to assist the Turkish refugees at the time of the Emergency? In view of the discussion which took place at the Prime Ministers' conference on the subject of Cyprus, can he say whether the Prime Minister raised the protection of British interests in Cyprus with the other Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I have no information on that point. I think the noble Lord is referring to the meeting of Heads a Commonwealth Governments in Kingston. I will endeavour to find the answer for the noble Lord.
§ The Earl of ONSLOWMy Lords, can the noble Lord say how much British property there was in Kyrenia and Northern Cyprus, how much of it has been damaged or looted, and what the proportion is?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSNot without notice, my Lords, but it may be possible to give an answer after a time. We are now engaged in forming a register of British property which has suffered. This is proceeding on the spot in Cyprus, and we have in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office a special section which is collating information in this country. This will be relayed to Cyprus, and vice versa. I could not undertake to give definitive answers to the two questions asked by the noble Earl, but if he will put a Question down on the Order Paper I will see what I can do.
§ Viscount SLIMMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the chairman of the United Kingdom Citizens' Association in Kyrenia is at the moment severely ill after a motor accident and will be in hospital for at least three to four months? Is the noble Lord the Minister satisfied 1023 that the communications between the High Commission and the United Kingdom Citizens' Association are still good?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am sorry to hear this information about the gentleman who has most effectively represented the British citizens in that part of Cyprus. I think that on the whole the communication between our citizens in Cyprus and the High Commissioner is effective. I receive complaints about difficulties and with my right honourable friend the Minister of State I try to deal with each case that comes to my notice. Indeed, if noble Lords have specific instances of difficulty, especially involving people in poor health, I shall be glad to have the details and do what I can about them.
§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVEMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us how many British citizens there are in Cyprus at this time, other than members of the Armed Forces?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I think the figure for property-owning British citizens is some 300, of which a few under 200 are in the Turkish-occupied areas of the North.
§ Lord CARADONMy Lords, will the noble Minister agree that the disastrous situation we see in Cyprus at this time is partly, if not largely, due to the failure of Her Majesty's Government to meet their obligation under the Treaty which was signed in 1960? In particular, will he make any comment on the action reported in the Press of British citizens who are seeking to condone and profit from the armed intervention in the Northern part of the Island?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, if my noble friend will forward details bearing on the second part of his question I have no doubt that Her Majesty's Government would like to look at them. On the first point as to British obligations, I am sure that he is as familiar as we all are with the appropriate articles of the 1960 Agreement which obliged us to consult, not to act unilaterally.
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, while of course nobody would wish to 1024 make anything more difficult in a very tricky situation, would the noble Lord make quite sure that the Government concerned are aware of the feeling that exists in all quarters of your Lordships' House about what has happened?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I give that assurance with reserve. It is a feeling which I and Her Majesty's Government share. I have said that the position is unsatisfactory. We are doing everything we can to improve it. I welcome the expressions of opinion during this exchange from all parts of the House.