HL Deb 16 July 1979 vol 401 cc1128-30

2.46 p.m.

Earl GREY

My 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 representations the High Commissioner in Ghana has made to the military régime with regard to the execution of the Head of State and members of the Supreme Military Council.

The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)

My Lords, on 26th June, our High Commissioner in Accra expressed to the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council the Government's abhorrence of these executions, which have aroused widespread revulsion in this country. Our High Commissioner also participated in representations which were made jointly by EEC heads of mission on behalf of all EEC Governments on 28th June.

Earl GREY

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord the Foreign Minister for that satisfactory reply, may I ask him one or two questions which are perhaps a little outside the main Question? Will the Government impress upon Flight Lieutenant Rawlings the urgency of accepting the will of the people of Ghana by handing over power completely to the new democratically-elected Government? Also, can the noble Lord say who is going to represent Ghana at the Lusaka conference?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, I am afraid I do not know the answer to the second part of the question. In answer to the first part of the question, we look forward to working with the newly-elected and democratically-elected President of Ghana.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, will the noble Lord the Foreign Secretary bear in mind that we, the Opposition, join with Her Majesty's Government in expressing abhorrence of practices such as these in that country or in any other country, but, equally with Her Majesty's Government, we hope that Ghana will find its way back to democratic practices and certainly will be represented in Lusaka.

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for what he has said, and I think the whole House will share in his wishes. It is interesting to note that after the representations made by the High Commissioner and by the EEC in Accra, Flight Lieutenant Rawlings in a broadcast on 30th June said that Ghana would not abandon her traditional respect for the rule of law and the principles of justice and human rights. I think that was a clear indication that there would be no further incidents.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, in view of executions having become in some countries almost a national pastime, I should like to ask the Foreign Secretary whether he can give any guarantee that the newly-elected person, to whom he has referred, will not be executed shortly?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, I could not, on behalf of any other Government, anywhere, give any promises about anything.