HC Deb 31 July 1974 vol 878 cc204-5W
Mrs. Wise

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will withdraw the licence which makes it permissible for academic posts in the University of Rhodesia to be advertised in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Ennals

I have nothing to add to what I told my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) and Salford, East (Mr. Allaun) in the House on 29th July.

Mr. Kinnock

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make provision for sports fixtures played by British teams or individuals against teams or individuals in Rhodesia to be regarded as a breach of sanctions against the illegal Smith régime.

Mr. Ennals

I have nothing to add to the answer which my hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bebington and Ellesmere Port (Mr. Bates) on 24th July.

Mr. Andrew Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made towards tightening sanctions against Rhodesia; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Joan Lestor

Sanctions can best be made more effective by improved international enforcement. Following exchanges my right hon. Friend had with Dr. Kissinger, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted strongly to repeal the Byrd Amendment, which allowed the import of strategic materials from Rhodesia to the United States. This was an important decision, though the full House has yet to endorse that vote.

My right hon. Friend also raised the problem of sanctions with his European colleagues. It was agreed that a committee of experts would meet in September to examine ways of strengthening sanctions.

At the United Nations we are playing an energetic part in the Sanctions Committee. Already this year we have made 20 reports to the Committee about suspected sanctions breaches, compared with 21 for the whole of last year.

At home three newspapers have been successfully prosecuted for publishing advertisements encouraging emigration to Rhodesia, and a London firm was fined £6,000 for importing Rhodesian ferrochrome.

As regards travel restrictions, I have noted that at least some 45 to 50 Rhodesians who should be subject to restrictions—sanctions-breakers, prominent supporters of the régime and certain office-holders—have not in fact been restricted. That is being remedied.

Mr. Faulds

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia on behalf of the Africans in the 17 kraals on the Chiweshe Tribal Trust Land who have refused to leave their homes on the orders of the regime;

(2) what representations he made to the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia about the enforced removal of 46,960 Africans from the Chiweshe Tribal Trust land.

Mr. Ennals

In the absence of any representatives in Rhodesia, it is difficult for us to investigate these incidents, but we have seen reports which indicate that the inhabitants of the Chiweshe Tribal Trust Land are being moved to protected villages in the same area.

In the view of Her Majesty's Government these actions are illegal and we deplore the suffering likely to be caused. We are considering the best way of making our views known to the Rhodesian authorities.