§ 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 what progress has been made at the discussions at Belgrade to prepare a draft agenda for the autumn conference to review and extend the application of the Helsinki Act for European Security and Co-operation.
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, considerable progress has been made by the CSCE Preparatory meeting at Belgrade, but final agreement has not yet been reached, including the precise form of the agenda for the main meeting.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking the Minister, may I ask this: Are not the unaligned nations at this conference contributing very usefully to reaching an agreement between East and West? Secondly, since Helsinki, while the concentration has been on human rights—and we all want them—is not the major issue economic integration? Is there any proposal at the Belgrade Conference in the autumn for integration of energy, transport and pollution measures?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, in answer to the first part of my noble friend's question, he is quite right: the non-aligned nations have played a very useful and serious part in negotiations. In answer to the second part of his question, Her Majesty's Government have always thought that all parts of the Helsinki Agreement and the Final Act are of tremendous importance. We shall insist on full discussions on every part of it.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether, in view of the terrible and vicious manner in which the USSR is oppressing scientists and others desiring to emigrate, by imprisonments, by criminally using mental hospitals to terrify and accuse dissidents, and generally causing tremendous victimisation to people within its land, in abuse of human rights, she will ensure that the review and implementation of the Final Act in respect of the first and third baskets occupy a prominent place on the agenda of the review meeting when it convenes in Belgrade in October, and that any attempt to reduce the scope of the review and its implementation be opposed, and that the review should be open-ended with no final date being set—
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, I know the whole House shares my noble friend's concern over this matter, and I also know that the whole House understands that Her Majesty's Government take the gravest view of the serious circumstances he has outlined. We shall continue to watch developments as they take place and we shall not hesitate to speak out both in public and in private. We have always done so and we shall continue to do so. As to the rest of my noble friend's question, we shall continue to press at Belgrade for all the things we think right.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTONMy Lords, is there not some language difficulty in this sort of agreement? When one is negotiating about such things as personal freedom and personal liberty, do not those words bear such a totally different meaning as between the two participants that it is very difficult to get a meaningful agreement?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEYes, indeed, my Lords.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask this of my noble friend: Concerned as we all are about human rights, would not 1121 a measure towards détente and peace be a contribution towards securing those human rights?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government strive all the time for détente and peace and, indeed, human rights as well.