§ 3.19 p.m.
§ 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 a decision has been reached on the purchase of uranium from the Rossing mine in Namibia.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of ENERGY (Lord Lovell-Davis)My Lords, as I explained on 20th October, the Government decided not to interfere with the contract.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, does that mean that the Government are proceeding with the contract? If so, is it not 1793 entirely contrary to the decisions of a resolution of the Security Council which we supported? Is it not contrary to the Manifesto on which the Labour Government were elected? Is it not in repudiation of the Cabinet Minister who was engaged in negotiations and has since expressed his regret that he undertook them?
§ Lord LOVELL-DAVISMy Lords, the answers to the noble Lord's questions are: first, yes; and, secondly, no it is not a repudiation of our obligations. It is in no way against the 1974 Manifesto. That Manifesto upon which this Government were elected contained no reference to the subject, and the decision of the Government was of course a collective one.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask whether the attention of the Minister has been drawn to the fact that the South African Government are largely responsible for the conduct of this mining operation and that to be pursuing this contract is in opposition to the whole policy of our Party in opposing apartheid and declaring Namibia to be a self-determining country?
§ Lord LOVELL-DAVISMy Lords, it is not true to say that South Africa plays a major part in this company. There are a number of different shareholdings, one of the largest being, as my noble friend is aware, the Rio Tinto Zinc Company. So far as this Government are concerned, as was made clear by my right honourable friend in another place on 4th December 1974, we do not accept that the Council which has been put forward by the United Nations General Assembly is in fact the lawful Administration of the territory.
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, could the noble Lord the Minister give an indication of the duration of the existing contract? In the event of disorder of a prolonged nature in that area, are the Government satisfied as to the availability of supplies for our nuclear processes from quarters other than this?
§ Lord LOVELL-DAVISMy Lords, the contract lasts, as I understand it, from 1977 until 1982. Were we to cancel the Rossing contract, it would be very difficult indeed—in fact no assurance at all could be given—to find a replacement of 1794 those supplies of uranium in the time-scale involved anywhere else in the world.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, have the Government made sufficient investigation as to the possibility of Australia or Canada supplying the uranium which is needed?
§ Lord LOVELL-DAVISMy Lords, we have, and the fact remains precisely as I described. There is no possibility of fulfilling from those resources the requirements of our nuclear programme in the time-scale.
§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONEIs there not something to be said, my Lords, for keeping contracts?