§ 3.8 p.m.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy 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 will publish the report of the Commonwealth observers on the Rhodesian elections.
§ Lord TREFGARNENo, my Lords. The report is available from the Commonwealth Secretariat.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, would the noble Lord the Minister agree that the work of the Commonwealth observers in Rhodesia during the election was of crucial importance? Would he further agree that their report is an historical document which should be as widely available as possible, and has been sadly neglected by the media of this country? Will he reconsider his Answer and put the force of the British Government behind the publication of this report so that it can be widely read?
§ Lord TREFGARNENo, my Lords.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that there would be very considerable support in more than one party and section in this country for what my noble friend Lord Hatch has suggested? Is he aware that we would welcome a somewhat more forthcoming indication of the Government's thoughts for the widest possible dissemination and public study of this very valuable report, particularly in view of the fact that the experience of Rhodesia, of leading a dependency peacefully into effective independence, may serve us well when we tackle the more difficult problem of Namibia?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, that may be so, but the Question I was asked was whether we would publish the report. The answer is, No, we will not, because, as I said originally, it is available from the Commonwealth Secretariat. Why, therefore, the Government should publish it I am not certain.
§ Baroness GAITSKELLMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord why he is so unforthcoming about welcoming and trying to spread this report?—because it adds to our prestige throughout the whole world and there is no reason why the Government should hold back on it.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, we are not holding back on it. If the noble Baroness wants a copy she can get it from the Commonwealth Secretariat.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, while he is correct in saying that the report can be obtained from the Commonwealth Secretariat, I understand that the Commonwealth Secretariat is having difficulty in publishing it as opposed to simply having it duplicated and available to the public? If the noble Lord is not prepared to commit the Government to publish the report, will he assure us that the British Government will play their part as a member of the Commonwealth in ensuring that this report is published and widely disseminated—including the lodging of a copy in the Printed Paper Office of this House?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, as the noble Lord knows, the report is a lengthy document. I cannot give the undertaking that he asks for. The noble Lord referred to the fact that the report had not been widely referred to in the newspapers. We have no more ability to push things into newspapers than we have to get them out.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that if as suggested this report were to be printed it might be a very long time before it was published, given what is happening to our Hansards at the moment?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, my noble friend is quite right.
§ Lord GLADWYNMy Lords, is not this paper available in the Library, anyway?
§ Lord TREFGARNENo, my Lords, I understand that it is not available there at present.
Several noble Lords: Why not?
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, the Minister did not answer the question whether the report will be placed in the Printed Paper Office in this House.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I have not given an undertaking that this report will be put in the Printed Paper Office.
§ Lord PEARTMy Lords, surely the noble Lord will be aware that certainly the view that we have always taken over a document of this kind is: why not put it in the Library?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I will undertake to put a copy in the Library if that is your Lordships' wish.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTONMy Lords, since we must accept that the Government of Zimbabwe is the best Government we have got, is there very much point in drawing additional attention to an election which, admittedly, was rife with fraud and intimidation?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I must reject that. The elections in Rhodesia were not rife with fraud and intimidation.