§ Baroness SEEARMy 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 (a) what information they have made available to the press and public about the United Kingdom's participation in the United Nations "Decade for Women" Conference to be held in Copenhagen from 14th to 30th July 1980, and (b) what organisations and individuals have been consulted in drawing up the brief for the United Kingdom delegation.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, the Government announced on the 18th March that my noble friend Lady Young was to lead the United Kingdom delegation. A press briefing was held on the 2nd July. Members of the delegation have held discussions with non-governmental organisations and have given radio interviews. A fact sheet on Britain and the United Nations decade is on sale through the Central Office of Information. The Women's National Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission, who are represented on the delegation, have been consulted on the briefing: where appropriate, suggestions put forward by non-governmental organisations have been included. There will be a debriefing session for non-governmental organisations after the conference.
§ Baroness SEEARMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Would he recognise that many women's organisations not covered by the Women's 1768 National Commission feel that wider consultation would have been very helpful since the conference is covering matters of great concern to a large number of women, and very much hope that such consultation will take place on any future occasion?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I understand that a number of non-governmental organisations who are not included in the delegation will be attending the conference as observers. As for the selection of the delegation, that was the responsibility of the Government, of course; but since it was not possible to include representatives of all the NGOs who had expressed interest, it was decided that the fairest way of representing them on the delegation would be to take representatives of the two main umbrella bodies, the Women's National Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, would the noble Lord let the House know what action is being taken by those who are attending the conference on behalf of our Government with regard to the gangster Leila Khaled who was arrested and deported from this country, and who has now been admitted because the Danes say that the United Nations have asked her to attend? Will the noble Lord see to it that she and other gangsters of the PLO are not included in a meeting of women, of all people, who are concerned about children and about women, and about civilians who are being attacked by these vicious criminals?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, we certainly hope that the conference will concern itself primarily with the matters for which this decade was originally envisaged. We also hope that the conference will therefore not embark upon political activities—hyper-political activities, if I could call them that—of the sort described by the noble Lord.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, how can you possibly describe this as being anything other than terrorism and criminal activity? How on earth are we going to get on when the United Nations itself authorises these barbaric criminals to attend such a meeting? It is not a question of political matters at all. It is 1769 a question of people who have been deported from this country being accepted because the United Nations wants them to attend. Is that not shocking?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I cannot answer either for the Danish Government or for the United Nations. But of course, as I have said on numerous occasions from this Box, we condemn terrorism from wherever it comes.
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, I was quite surprised to hear the noble Lord say that he did not—
§ Several noble Lords: Question!
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that he said that he did not want the women to be discussing politics or hyper-politics? Are not the care of children, employment for women, and all the things that women are interested in just as important political issues as what the men think are important events?
§ Lord TREFGARNEYes, of course, my Lords. We very much support the primary motivation which caused the establishment of the decade to which I have referred, and indeed this conference which is now taking place.
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are extremely grateful that he did consult that rather unsung and very hardworking organisation, the Women's National Commission, and of course the Equal Opportunities Commission, and that we should like them not merely to consult them but to really take notice of the policies that they recommend? Is the noble Lord further aware that if women had been consulted more often we should not be in half such a mess as we are today?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I rise with trepidation to answer that particular supplementary. However, the two bodies to which the noble Baroness referred were more than consulted; they are on the delegation.
§ Baroness GAITSKELLMy Lords, may I ask the Minister whether any 1770 woman has been sent from the United Nations' Third Committee, the Human Rights Committee, which has always had a delegate?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I have a list of the British delegates in front of me, including one from the British Mission to the United Nations in New York, but I cannot say without looking into the matter whether there is anyone such as the noble Baroness describes.
§ Lord BROCKWAYIs the Minister able to indicate, my Lords, the nongovernmental organisations which have been consulted? Do they include, for example, the Women's Institute, the Women's Co-operative Guild and the Liaison Committee of Women for Disarmament? What are these organisations?
§ Lord TREFGARNEAgain, my Lords, the list is long. If the noble Lord will allow me, I will write to him with the details.