§ 92. Sir C. Osborneasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he is aware that numbers of foreign 151W businessmen have gone to Rhodesia waiting to pick up orders which formerly came to England as soon as sanctions either fail or are ended; and what steps he is taking to safeguard this former British market.
§ Mr. George ThomasI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister in answer to Questions on 20th December, when he said that while we are loyally abiding by sanctions agreed to by this House, there were businessmen from other countries who were getting in and scooping up markets in Rhodesia. The scope for this has been considerably reduced by United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 232 which makes sanctions binding on all United Nations member countries.
I am confident of the ability of British businessmen to re-establish themselves in this market when Rhodesia returns to constitutional rule and sanctions are lifted.—[Vol. 738, c. 1175–83.]