HL Deb 19 June 1979 vol 400 cc810-1

2.44 p.m.

Lord HATCH of LUSBY

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 whether they still approve of the spirit and letter of the "Gleneagles Agreement" of 1977.

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, the Government accept the "Gleneagles Agreement", which was an agreement made between Commonwealth Heads of Government.

Lord HATCH of LUSBY

My Lords, in view of that Answer would the noble Lord tell us whether the Government have protested to the sporting clubs, particularly to the rugby clubs which have been visiting South Africa recently, and the Surrey County Rugby Club which has visited Rhodesia?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, all these visits were proposed, made and authorised in the days of the noble Lords opposite.

Lord HATCH of LUSBY

My Lords, my question was: have the present Government protested to those clubs since they came into office?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, had we wanted to it would have been too late.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I am sure it is within the knowledge and recollection of the Secretary of State when I say that successive Governments have no actual power to prohibit these visits, but they do exercise their best endeavours in the interests of anti-racism to persuade these clubs not to engage in these fixtures.

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right, and that is what I understand the noble Lord opposite did.

Lord AVEBURY

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his answers may be greeted with slightly less amusement in Lagos than they are on that side of the House, and that his flippant attitude towards playing sports with apartheid is one of the reasons for the penalties exacted from us by the Nigerian Government in respect of oil belonging to a British company?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, I am distressed to think that anything I have said should appear to the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, as flippant.