Poland: Latest Situation (Hansard, 22 February 1982)

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Trefgarne)
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government deplore the continuing repression in Poland. The recent arrest of several thousand more people testifies to the military Government's failure to live up to their undertakings to return to the path of renewal and reform. Meanwhile, Soviet interference continues, for example through the jamming of BBC broadcasts. The Government's measures in response to this situation were announced on 5th February.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether he will make sure that, notwithstanding the activities of the Soviet Government in trying to drown out the truth, we will continue our support for the independent trade union Solidarity, which speaks for the people of Poland? May I further ask him to convey to his right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary that, despite attacks by the Right-wing press of this country and the vulgar and abominable expressions used by the United States Secretary of State, his cold courage and persistent endeavour when dealing with the world's crisis makes him one of the few Foreign Secretaries who realises that a margin of error could end in disaster for all mankind, and that his endeavours receive the applause of all sensible people throughout the world?

§ Lord Trefgarne
My Lords, I shall certainly convey to my noble friend the kind words of the noble Lord. As to the first part of this supplementary, we certainly support and encourage the Polish people in their wish to exercise their undoubted right to self-determination.

§ Lord Gladwyn
My Lords, has the noble Lord noticed that according to the press this morning almost the entire population of Poland seems to think there will be a revolution in the spring and that the West will then somehow come to their assistance against whoever it may be, the Government or the Russians? Is it not therefore high time we had a debate on the subject to find out what in fact, in face of this grim situation, the policy of the Government is likely to be?

§ Lord Trefgarne
The question of a debate is one for the usual channels, my Lords, who I understand are in touch on this matter. As to the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary, I have given up predicting what is going to happen in Poland.

§ Lord Mowbray and Stourton
My Lords, seeing that, according to the press, most of the aid coming from the western world to the Polish Government is not necessarily getting through to the people for whom it is intended—that is, the people who arc in need—may I ask whether Her Majesty's Government and the EEC are taking note of what is being recommended, namely, that the Church in Poland is probably one of the only sources able to distribute without Government favour?

§ Lord Trefgarne
My Lords, I certainly agree that it is important that the humanitarian aid which we are providing through the European Community should reach the right people. We believe that on the whole it is, and we have received a number of assurances to that effect.

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, would the Minister agree that the sharp edge of the Polish difficulty, which should be put to General Jaruzelski if he has not already got the point, is that you can do anything with a bayonet except sit on it?

§ Lord Trefgarne
My Lords, I am not sure whether General Jaruzelski reads the Hansard of your Lordships' House, but if he does I am certain he will take note of what the noble Viscount has said.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, has the Minister read the interesting interview with the Polish Deputy Prime Minister in The Times this morning? Would he draw it to the attention of his noble friend, and possibly to that of the American Secretary of State?

§ Lord Trefgarne
I have not yet had a chance to read the article to which the noble Lord refers, my Lords, but I shall certainly do so.

§ Lord Leatherland
My Lords, in view of the fact that Poland has a reputation for sparking off wars, may I ask whether he will keep out of it?

§ Lord Trefgarne
My Lords, I am not quite sure how the noble Lord thinks we are going to end up at war in this matter, but our general views about the situation have been made well known.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, would the Minister agree that we should make it clear to all those who are oppressing the people of Poland that in our country millions of ordinary people over the past 80 years owe the raising of their standard of living to the British trade union movement, and that that must be the permitted endeavour of the Polish rulers, whomsoever they may be, towards their trade unions?

§ Lord Trefgarne
My Lords, the Polish Government have said they want to resume the dialogue with the trade union Solidarity and we look forward to the day when they will do that.