§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the appeal by the Archbishop of Canterbury and 24 worldwide Anglican leaders to the Government of the South African Republic for the return of the passport of Bishop Desmond Tutu, Secretary General of the South African Council of Churches.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, the Government share the hope of the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Anglican leaders that the South African Government will return Bishop Tutu's passport. We have already drawn the South African Government's attention to the extent of public concern in this country over this matter.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, delighted as I am by that reply, may I ask this of the noble Lord: When we become Members of this House do we not take an oath or an affirmation of support for the Church? While some of us have reservations about that, may I ask whether this is not a case where the whole House should give support to the Archbishop and his colleagues?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, I am not sure that the noble Lord is entirely right in what he says about the oath that your Lordships take at the beginning of each Session, but I think that noble Lords would certainly wish to agree with the sentiments expressed by the most reverend Primate and his prelates at Canterbury.
The Lord Bishop of LONDONMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that not only the leaders of the Anglican Communion but also a number of other people have written letters to the secular and the Church Press asking for the reasons for the withdrawal of Bishop Tutu's passport and also the reason for the detention of the Reverend David Russell, and that there has been no response whatsoever? Will the noble Lord therefore make it clear to the South African authorities that their refusal to answer these clear questions does great harm to the good understanding which should exist between South Africa and this country?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, we have already made clear to the South African Government the extent of public concern in the United Kingdom on this matter. I should make it clear now that neither in the case of the Archbishop nor in that of the Reverend David Russell, whom the right reverend prelate mentioned, have we any locus standi to intervene formally; but we can and do make informal representations when opportunity arises.