§ Mr. Luardasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that further naval visits to South Africa include no ceremonial acts or good-will gestures which may be used as evidence of political support by the South African Government, but are confined strictly to operational exercises alone.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
On coming into office the Government decided that, pending the outcome of the defence review, naval visits to South Africa should be determined only by operational necessity and that there should be no good-will visits. Planned visits to South Africa by Her Majesty's Yacht "Britannia" and HMS "Leopard" were accordingly cancelled. 23W The recent visit by a group of ships en route to the Far East contrasts sharply with one which took place during the previous administration in November 1973 in that it was very much shorter, omitted a full scale tactical exercise and included no official dinners, dances or receptions. A formal reception offered by the South African Government was declined.
As for the future, my hon. Friend will know that the naval arrangements arising from the Simonstown Agreement are under review, and, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said at Cardiff on 25th October, any calls in the meantime by Royal naval ships at South African ports will be strictly for minimum operational purposes.