HC Deb 19 January 1988 vol 125 c639W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that the United Kingdom vote in the United Nations will be used to support the decision taken by the United Nations sub-commission on the prevention of discrimination to include the situation on East Timor on the Commission's agenda for its February meeting.

Mr. Eggar

We do not yet know whether member states of the United Nations Commission for Human Rights will wish to take up the sub-commission's recommendation that East Timor be included on the Commission's agenda in February. Our practice since 1982 has been to abstain on resolutions on East Timor whilst expressing support for the Secretary General's role in encouraging a settlement between the parties.