Namibia: Trade Policy (Hansard, 15 March 1988)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Glenarthur)
My Lords, we continue to believe that civil trade with other countries, including Namibia, should be determined by commercial considerations.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, is the Minister aware that there are many people in this country who disagree with the Government on this issue and that this has been shown in Liverpool over the past week by the refusal of the Transport and General Workers' Union and the seamen's union to handle uranium which has been imported by British Nuclear Fuels from Namibia? Is he also aware that British Nuclear Fuels has now admitted that a considerable proportion of the material that it handles comes from Namibia?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, the fact is that the CEGB contract for the import of uranium from the Rossing mine in Namibia has expired and imports from that source have ceased. There are no plans to renew the contract, but of course this is a matter for commercial decision only.

Baroness Sharpies
My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that I visited the Rossing uranium mine and was extremely impressed by the state of affairs there, where blacks and whites are treated equally? I think it is very sad that there is no more business going on there.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am sure that my noble friend is quite right. I am very interested to hear what she says.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, is it not the case that British Nuclear Fuels has admitted that it is importing uranium which originated in Namibia? Do the Government take the stance that in defiance of the United Nations decree they will still continue to trade with Namibia despite the fact that the World Court has declared that the South African occupation and use of the resources of Namibia are internationally illegal?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I fear that the noble Lord is wrong. As I said, the CEGB's contract expired in 1984 and there are no plans for its renewal.
On the United Nations Council Decree No. 1, we do not recognise the claim of the United Nations Council for Namibia to be the legal administering authority for Namibia. We consider that the United Nations General Assembly acted beyond its competence in establishing the council. Therefore the council's Decree No. 1 does not impose any obligations on the United Kingdom.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, the noble Lord is evading the question. Is he not aware that officials of British Nuclear Fuels have admitted publicly that the material that they are now using originates from Namibia, irrespective of the ending of the contract? That material—uranium oxide—still comes from Namibia; and British Nuclear Fuels has said so.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I do not know whether the noble Lord is aware of the technicalities. Perhaps he is not. BNFL processes uranium for a variety of overseas customers who are at all times the owners of that uranium. A given batch of hex—I am sure that the noble Lord will know what hex is—contains uranium from a number of countries. It is not possible to state the country of origin of any given batch and that is why hex was not included in the ban on the import of South African and Namibian uranium under the United States antiapartheid Act.
I stand on my earlier remark that the contract that the CEGB had has ended.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, since when has any organ of the United Nations power under the charter to issue decrees or to make them a factor in deciding the legality or illegality of actions of an international forum? I should like to know the answer.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, the answer to my noble and learned friend is that he is absolutely right.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, does the Minister agree that what is disturbing is that the statement made by the company in no way can be corroborated by the Minister? Is that not an unsatisfactory state of affairs?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, so far as I am aware the original contract under the CEGB has expired, and I can go no further than that. Those are the facts.