PORTUGAL AND BRITISH SUBJECTS (Hansard, 24 October 1975)

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

§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)
My Lords, the protection of lives and property of British subjects in Portugal is the responsibility of the Portuguese Government. They have assured us, on a number of occasions, in the past and recently, that they are fully aware of their responsibility and will do everything in their power to give British subjects and their property proper protection. As my right honourable friend the Minister of State made clear in another place on 21st October, Her Majesty's Government have made representations at a high level to the Portuguese Government about the difficulties currently being encountered by some British subjects farming in Portugal, and will continue to press the Portuguese Government for a satisfactory outcome.

§ Baroness ELLES
My Lords, am I to understand the noble Lord the Minister as saying that it is the responsibility of the Portuguese Government to protect the lives and property of British citizens? I should have thought that was the responsibility of the British Government. May I ask what the British Government are doing to see that the Portuguese carry out this responsibility to British citizens and their property? May I also draw 1722 the noble Lord's attention to a report in The Times of the policy of the Institute of Agrarian Reform, which says that it does not differentiate between Portuguese and foreign owned land rights? Would the Minister comment on this policy of what is a parastatal organisation?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
I should have thought that the axiom that the receiving Government were responsible for the lives and property of any other nationals going into that country to live or work was accepted internationally. On the second point, I could not comment on any report which I have not yet seen; but I am grateful to the noble Baroness for having drawn it to my attention.

§ Baroness ELLES
My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord for that reply, but may I say to him that I regret to have to differ with him on this point? Would he not agree that it is surely a matter of international law that a Government are always responsible for the lives of their citizens, wherever those citizens may be? Perhaps the Minister would care to reconsider this matter? Also, may I ask him whether he will see that, where it is due, compensation is given as a matter of priority to British citizens for their property losses, as opposed to giving economic aid to a very unstable Government, which may shortly be put in an even more unstable position than they are in now?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
My Lords, the noble Baroness raises questions of far-reaching importance. I cannot add to what I have already said about the duties of home Governments to protect the lives and property of incoming nationals. On the second point as to whether we should extend aid to this country and Government, I should have thought that the sixth Provisional Government, showing as they do a determination to move towards pluralistic democracy, deserve all the aid we can give to them.

§ Lord LEATHERLAND
My Lords, will my noble friend bear in mind that many British nationals who have gone to live in Portugal, and have bought houses and estates there, have done so in order to dodge paying British income tax?

§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONE
My Lords, will the noble Lord tell us exactly what the relevance of that might be?

§ Earl COWLEY
My Lords, while appreciating the difficulty of the British Government, may I ask the noble Lord to say what value he places on the assurances from the sixth Provisional Government, since it is apparent that their writ does not run throughout the whole of Portugal?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
My Lords, we are all aware of the difficulties which are being encountered by the sixth Provisional Government in the disturbed situation which confronts them in many parts of Portugal. However, the present Government are a marked improvement on anything which preceded them. They have said that they will move as quickly as possible to a pluralistic democracy, with freedom of the Press and everything that democracy means. I should have thought that we should, by speech and action, do everything we can to sustain the present Government of Portugal.

§ Lord HALE
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he recalls the tributes that were paid to the dictatorship Government in Portugal about two years ago, when we had a national celebration of the marriage of Catherine of Braganza, and were talking of Portugal as our oldest ally? Does my noble friend agree, since our oldest ally is in temporary political distress at the sudden termination of 40 years of repressive dictatorship and poverty, that we should now try to consider their problems with our Common Market colleagues with the most sympathetic understanding and interest?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
My Lords, the Community have indicated to the Portuguese Government that they are anxious to help Portugal in this time of 1724 economic and constitutional difficulty—the two are linked. The Community, have, I think, made their views clear to the Portuguese Government. As to the historical references drawn on by my noble friend, I find them very interesting and probably apposite.

§ Baroness ELLES
My Lords, while accepting, of course, that the sixth Provisional Government have to be supported in every way, may we on this side of the House ask for unreserved Government support for those centre Parties such as the CDS and the PPD, which are struggling to keep the Government on their course towards a pluralistic democracy, as opposed to a form of totalitarian régime?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
Of course, my Lords not simply the centre Parties, but also the left of centre Parties which are committed to democracy. My noble friend referred to 40 years of dictatorship. It is not our purpose to assist in any way the substitution of a new form of dictatorship, from either the left or right in place of the old one.

§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONE
My Lords, would the noble Lord add to his commendation Parties which may be a little right of centre and which are still committed to democracy?

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
My Lords, I would not define the deserving recipients of our support and commendation as being left or right. I would define them as being genuinely democratic in policy and purpose.