§ 28. Mr. John Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest assessment he has made of the political and economic consequences of sanctions against Rhodesia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FoleyOn the political effects of sanctions, I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 5th December, 1968 in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton). As regards the economic consequences, a United Kingdom assessment of the effects of sanctions on the Rhodesian economy up to mid-1968 was published as Annex III to United Nations Security Council Document, S/8954, of 30th December, 1968. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library of the House.—[Vol. 774, c. 1830.]
§ 51. Rear-Admiral Morgan Gilesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the extent of unemployment among Africans in Rhodesia.
§ Mr. FoleySuch information as is available indicates that there is substantial unemployment and underemployment among Rhodesian Africans and that this is a matter of growing concern within Rhodesia.
§ 77. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what summary he has made of $820,000-worth of goods which, 3W as shown by United States Government returns, have been exported from Rhodesia into the United States of America during the first six months following imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions, to ascertain the extent to which such exports were compatible with such sanctions.
§ Mr. FoleyA summary is provided in the trade statistics published monthly by the United States Government. It is for the Security Council, acting on the advice of the Committee established in pursuance of Resolution No. 253 of 29th May, 1968, to determine whether any particular Government is in breach of its obligations under that Resolution.
§ 79. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Swiss Government in view of the fact that Swiss imports from Rhodesia in the first six months following the imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions were 62 per cent. higher than in 1964, and Swiss exports to Rhodesia over the same period 50 per cent. higher than in 1965.
§ Mr. FoleyWe keep in touch with friendly governments about ways of making sanctions more effective, but it is for the Security Council, acting on the advice of the Committee established in pursuance of Resolution No. 253 of 29th May, 1968, to determine whether any particular Government is in breach of its obligations under that Resolution.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further information he has received on the countries besides Portugal and South Africa known to be deliberately breaching the United Nations resolution on sanctions against Rhodesia.
§ Mr. FoleyIn accordance with our obligations under paragraph 21 of Security Council Resolution No. 253 of 29th May, 1968, we provide the Committee of the Security Council established in pursuance of that Resolution with such information as we may receive of suspected breaches of sanctions. That information is, however, confidential until the Committee makes its Reports to the Security Council.
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§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Report of the Security Council's Committee on mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia.
§ Mr. FoleyThe first Report of the Committee established under Security Council Resolution No. 253 was made to the President of the Security Council on the 30th of December, 1968; it has been published as United Nations Security Council. Document S/8954 of which a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. It covered the work of the Committee up to the end of last year and included material submitted to the Commission by the United Kingdom Government. The Committee is continuing its work. It is for the Security Council to consider in due course the Reports which the Committee makes to it.
§ Rear-Admiral Morgan Gilesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consideration he has given to alternative schemes for the composition of the Rhodesian legislature.
§ Mr. FoleyHer Majesty's Government's proposals for the composition of the Rhodesian Legislature are contained in the "Fearless" proposals, which remain on offer.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Yugoslav Government regarding the 221 per cent. increase in Yugoslav imports from Rhodesia in the first four months following the introduction of comprehensive mandatory sanctions as compared with Yugoslav imports from Rhodesia prior to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence and the fact that Yugoslavia, which sold no goods to Rhodesia in the year before the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, sold $360,000 worth since the imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions;
(2) what representations he has made to the Federal German Government regarding the $4.86 million-worth of Rhodesian goods which, as shown by official German returns, have been imported into Germany in the first six 5W months since the imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions, and the 12 per cent. increase in German exports sold to Rhodesia over the same period as compared with the level of German exports pre the Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the fact that official Portuguese Government returns show that Portuguese trade with Rhodesia has been discontinued since the imposition of comprehensive mandatory sanctions, he will instruct Her Majesty's representative at the United Nations to oppose all motions critical of Portugal for alleged failure to fulfil United Nations mandatory orders in this matter.
§ Mr. FoleyThe hon. Member appears to have been misled by the fact that Portuguese official statistics no longer show figures for trade with Southern Rhodesia. This is not the same as showing that that trade has been discontinued.