§ 3.25 p.m.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Foreign Secretary the Question of which I have given Private Notice to him, relating to our relations with Saudi Arabia.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)My 890 Lords, Her Majesty's Ambassador has been asked to leave by the Saudi authorities, as a direct result of the damage caused to the relationship between our two Governments by the film "Death of a Princess", which was shown by ATV on 9th April. It might be helpful to your Lordships for me to set out the course of events which led to the Saudi request that our Ambassador should return home.
On 3rd April, the Saudi Foreign Minister summoned our chargé d'affaires in Jeddah to tell him of his Government's concern about the film and to warn of the very serious consequences which could ensue for our relations. In the light of this message, our Ambassador, Mr. James Craig, was recalled from leave, and he returned to Saudi Arabia with messages from the Lord Privy Seal and myself. We stressed that the British Government would regret it deeply if our close relations with the Kingdom were damaged by an event for which neither Government was responsible. I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate that expression of regret.
After the film was shown there was considerable Press comment, and the Saudi Embassy in London issued a statement which was highly critical of the film and ATV. There has been widespread protest from all over the Arab and Muslim worlds, and attention has been focussed on plans to show the film in other Western countries. Yesterday the Saudi Foreign Minister told our Ambassador that his Government had re-evaluated Anglo-Saudi relations, and decided that it was not proper to maintain them at their present level. They would therefore not proceed with the despatch of their Ambassador Designate to London, and they would have to ask our Ambassador to leave for the time being. The Saudi authorities have also made it clear that a visit by the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, which had been planned for 30th April, would no longer be appropriate, and other high level visits have been cancelled.
I should like to stress once again that the Government attach a very great importance to our relations with Saudi Arabia, and we regret that they should have been damaged in this way by an incident outside our control. We have a 891 close political and economic relationship, from which we both benefit. There is a community of about 30,000 British people working in Saudi Arabia. We share a common concern that the vital Gulf area should develop in stability and peace without interference from outside powers. In view of present external threats to the area, we should be drawing closer, not drifting apart.
The Government hope, and believe, that with good will on both sides the present misunderstanding can be overcome and the normal course of relations resumed. The wide range of bilateral contacts will not be interrupted on our side, and I hope British citizens working in Saudi Arabia, and British business visitors, will not be deterred by these events. We wish to see the minimum disruption in our relations and a speedy return to the friendship which has characterised them in the past.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for making that Statement, may I ask whether he will continue to assure the Royal House and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the widespread and genuine understanding and respect there is in this country at this time for Saudi Arabian feelings, and that we very greatly value the long-standing friendship between our two countries, tested in peace and in war? It is a friendship which has brought considerable political and economic benefit to both countries, as the noble Lord reminded us. Will the noble Lord also assure Saudi Arabia that we greatly hope that our relationship will very soon be fully restored, so that our two countries may continue together to do everything in our power to ensure the stability and the security of the Middle and Near East, particularly the Gulf area?
§ Lord WIGODERMy Lords, would the noble Lord the Foreign Secretary not agree that in this extremely unhappy situation the matter is perhaps best left to diplomatic channels and that public debate is unlikely to serve any very constructive purpose? Would the noble Lord also not agree that this is not the first time in recent months that very serious misunderstandings have arisen as a result of the tendency of some television 892 companies to present programmes which are deliberately designed to give the impression of being documentary programmes based on fact, whereas the reality is that in substance they are no more than fictional reconstructions?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I readily give the assurance that the noble Lord, Lord Goronwy-Roberts, asked me to give. Of course we shall continue to do that; and I agree very much with what he said in the latter part of his remarks. I agree, too, with the noble Lord who has just spoken from the Liberal Benches. I hope that, on the whole, the less said the soonest mended, because we have made our position abundantly plain to the Saudi Arabian Government. With regard to the second question which he raised, I think that in the light of what has happened and in the light of the previous examples which the noble Lord has quoted, it might be as well for those who are producing these programmes to have a good look at the consequences of what they are doing.
§ Lord BOOTHBYMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that if the late Lord Reith had still been in charge of radio and television in this country nobody would have dared even to mention, still less to show him, the film Death of a Princess? Does he not think, in all the circumstances, that there is something to be said for looking for somebody similar to him, preferably a Scotsman, of whom there are plenty, who could be relied upon to discharge his duties at a time of international crisis with the responsibility with which Lord Reith discharged them, without any necessity for Government legislation?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I have no doubt that what the noble Lord says is true, that if Lord Reith had been there it would not have happened, but my imagination does not go so far as to think of Lord Reith as chairman of a commercial television station.
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, in view of the changes in the media over the last decade or so, has the time not come that, when you have a film which is so against our national interest, its display should be prohibited by a Resolution of the House of Commons, confirmed by this House?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I think we have got to be very careful in what we do about the freedom of expression in this country.
§ Lord HANKEYMy Lords, may we at least ask the Government to consider informing any others who may wish to produce films of this sort, which may very well be even worse, of the consequences of their action, in the hope that they will thereby be dissuaded from producing them?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I am confident that television producers read the newspapers.
§ Lord BOYD-CARPENTERMy Lords, have Her Majesty's Government or the Government of Saudi Arabia received any expression of regret from the television company concerned?
§ Lord CARRINGTONNo, my Lords.
§ Lord TAYLOR of BLACKBURNMy Lords, in view of what has gone on I think we would be stupid to go on discussing this. I intervened yesterday in another debate, and the Foreign Secretary said certain things about my intervention; but I think it would be stupid for us to carry on in this way. I think we should leave it with the people who are discussing it at the present time, rather than go on in this way.
§ Lord PARGITERMy Lords, may I finally ask the Foreign Secretary whether or not representations will be made to the company to suggest that the film should not be shown in any other countries, thus not to harm relations further than has already happened?
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, I do not think it is the business of Her Majesty's Government to decide what should be done in other countries.
§ Lord ARDWICKMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that not all of us on this side of the House stand for the kind of censorship which has been suggested? On the other hand, those of us who are veterans of the media deplore a modern tendency towards what is called "faction"; that is, towards the treatment of fact as if it were fictional.
§ Lord CARRINGTONMy Lords, if I may say so, that seems to be a nicely balanced supplementary with which we can all go along.
§ The Earl of ONSLOWMy Lords, would not Richard III have objected just as much to Shakespeare's treatment of him?
The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES and FOOD (Earl Ferrers)My Lords, your Lordships may consider that, important though this subject is, it might be more appropriate if we moved on to the next business.