HL Deb 22 May 1985 vol 464 cc287-9

2.37 p.m.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have noted that the Nicaraguan Government has sent away 100 Cuban military advisers, and whether they have any evidence of Nicaraguan attempts to destabilise neighbouring governments within the last six months.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)

My Lords, we have seen reports that 100 Cuban military advisers recently left Nicaragua. But we remain deeply concerned by the substantial number that remain and by Nicaraguan policies aimed at destabilising neighbouring governments.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, do the Government not have an ambassador accredited to the Government of Nicaragua? If so, why do they have to rely on seeing reports, presumably in the press? Is there not a First Secretary resident in Managua who can inquire about the matter and make an authoritative report to the Government? Secondly, what are the policies which seek to destabilise the governments in neighbouring countries to Nicaragua?

Baroness Young

My Lords, our ambassador who is resident in Costa Rica also looks after Nicaragua. However, we have diplomatic representation itself in Managua. Naturally, we have reports, both from the ambassador and from our representative in the capital of Nicaragua itself. On the second point that the noble Lord raised, he will know that the Honduran ambassador at the United Nations Security Council on 10th May reported the arrest the previous week of six Sandinista Front members who confessed that they had been trans-shipping and hiding weapons in Honduras for the use of subversive Honduran groups being trained at present in Nicaragua. Some of them had been involved in such activities since 1979.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, will the noble Baroness be kind enough to say briefly what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Nicaragua, and specifically with regard to making loans to Nicaragua? Did she see the article in the Observer newspaper on 12th May which purported to publish Foreign Office documents showing that, while on the face of it the Government were anxious to make loans and to help Nicaragua, they were in practice blocking loans to that country?

Baroness Young

My Lords, regarding the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Nicaragua and Central America, we wish to see an early and comprehensive negotiated settlement of the regional tensions. To that end, we have consistently supported the Contadora proposals. On the second point about aid to Nicaragua, the view is that all these matters, and indeed loans to Nicaragua, have been decided on technical grounds.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, I wonder whether the noble Baroness will answer my question. I asked whether the Government are in favour of making loans to Nicaragua, and whether there was any merit in the report in the Observer newspaper which published exchanges and letters from her department. Is it the case that we are making loans to Nicaragua and that we are in favour of doing so? Or are we blocking these loans?

Baroness Young

My Lords, we have supplied £450,000 in bilateral aid to Nicaragua since 1980. Community aid to Central America in 1983 totalled £25 million, of which Nicaragua received about £9 million, the largest share. As the noble Lord will be aware, we contribute to the Community budget about 22 per cent. As to the Observer article, I can confirm that we are not blocking aid. We consider all new multilateral projects on their technical merits and in relation to the recipient countries' standing with the international financial institutions.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, the noble Baroness says that the Government support the Contadora proposals. Does she not agree that they contain an injunction against the use of the territory of any state in the region for hostile action against its neighbours? Will she therefore condemn the use by the American State Department of Honduran and Costa Rican territory for the operations of many thousands of armed terrorists who are killing and destroying property in Nicaragua?

Baroness Young

My Lords, I can confirm that we support the Contadora process. What we have said, and I have said on many occasions in your Lordships' House, is that we support the aims of United States policy in Central America; namely, to promote democracy, political stability, national security and economic development.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, do the Government support the means by which the United States pursues that aim; namely, the financing and supplying of insurgents to carry on a civil war, which has cost about 8,000 lives over the past four or five years, against the Government of Nicaragua, which is now democratically elected?

Baroness Young

My Lords, in answer to the first question that he asked, the noble Lord will know the situation in Central America is very complex. I have set out the Government's position on this matter.

Lord Oram

My Lords, does that Government position include a refusal to support the United States embargo on trade with Nicaragua?

Baroness Young

My Lords, with regard to the United States Administration, we have not been asked by them to join in imposing sanctions.