§ 3.45 p.m.
§ The LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Elwyn-Jones)My Lords, with permission I shall repeat a Statement which has been made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The Statement is as follows:
"I will, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, make a Statement on Lord Greenhill's recent visit to Rhodesia.
"My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. David Ennals) told the House on 24th February that the purpose of Lord Greenhill's mission was exploratory: to assess whether attitudes had changed to the point where there might be a genuine possibility of the British Government's helping to promote a settlement providing for an early and orderly transfer of power in Rhodesia.
"Lord Greenhill arrived in Salisbury in the early hours of Thursday, 26th February, and left again on the afternoon of the following day. During his 920 stay, he had two meetings with Mr. Smith, and one with Mr. Nkomo and some of his colleagues.
"I received Lord Greenhill's report over the week-end and discussed it with him yesterday. He did not bring back any constitutional proposals, for that was not his purpose. But he did bring back the asssessment of attitudes for which I asked, and which I am now considering. Let me make clear once again that our objective is an early transition to majority rule by peaceful means. In the light of what Lord Greenhill has told me, I am considering whether there is anything we can usefully do to help achieve this end. These are serious days for Rhodesia and there must be adequate time for consideration. I shall inform the House of my conclusions.
"I should like, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, to renew my thanks to Lord Greenhill for undertaking this mission."
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friends I should like to thank the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor for having repeated the Statement. We join in expressing thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Greenhill of Harrow, for having undertaken this misssion, and we are glad to hear that he has now returned. However, since we have no idea of the contents of the report made by the noble Lord, Lord Greenhill of Harrow, nor of the contents of the mind of the Foreign Secretary at this moment in regard to the report and its contents, I think it would be unhelpful if we said anything further at this stage.
§ Lord BANKSMy Lords, in thanking the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor for repeating the Statement made in another place, I wish to welcome the reaffirmation in the Statement that the objective of the Government is to secure an early transition to majority rule by peaceful means. The Statement does not add very greatly to the knowledge we had already gleaned from the newspapers. I fully appreciate that the noble and learned Lord will not wish to say anything today which might prejudice the outcome of negotiations and consultations which are taking place. But I wish to point out to him that we should want 921 to know as soon as possible whether Mr. Smith has altered his position on majority rule, and what are the new and interesting proposals of which Mr. Nkomo spoke yesterday; furthermore, what part has the question of guaranteeing the security of the white population under black rule played in the discussions and, finally, what progress has been made in seeking to secure the withdrawal of foreign forces from Southern Africa as a whole?
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I have little doubt that when my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary, in the fulness of time, although obviously it will be soon, reports to another place on the report he has received from the noble Lord, Lord Greenhill of Harrow, all the matters which the noble Lord has just mentioned will be considered and taken into account. I respectfully agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Elles, that in the circumstances we cannot really take the matter further at this stage. I am sorry to have offered your Lordships so little in the Statement which it has been myhonour to read.