HC Deb 17 November 1969 vol 791 cc181-2W
60. Mr. Judd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will propose the establishment of an international inspectorate to enforce the United Nations policy of sanctions against Rhodesia.

Mr. Luard

No. We have considered these questions on a number of occasions in connection with proposals for a United Nations inspectorate, and we have concluded that such a proposal would involve an interference in domestic jurisdiction which is unlikely to be acceptable to most United Nations members.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now make a statement on the state of the Rhodesian economy, with particular reference to the gross national product.

Mr. Foley

The following table, based on the regime's own published figures, shows that in 1968 Rhodesia's gross national product at market prices was some 12 per cent. higher than in 1965. However, when price and population increases are taken into account there was in fact a fall of . per cent. in real per capita income, as compared with 1965.

Year G.N.P.(market prices)£million percent.increase or decrease percent.increase or decrease(at contsant prices) percent.increase or decrease(income per head at constant prices)
1965 363.8
1966 357.7 —1.7 —4 —6.8
1967 387.4 6.5 2 —3.8
1968 408 12 4.7 —4.6

2. The régime's claim that Gross Domestic Product will increase this year by 10 per cent. may or may not prove to be a reasonable forecast. It must, however, be borne in mind that this forecast reflects an abnormal disparity between agricultural production in 1968, when there was a drought, and in 1969 when exceptionally good climatic conditions resulted in bumper harvests. The régime's projected increase in G.D.P. also includes (as of course do all its previous figures of G.D.P. and G.N.P. since 1966) the value of some production which will only serve to add to existing stock-piles.

3. In any assessment of Rhodesia's economic performance the comparison that must be made is not a comparison between this year and last year but between performance new and what it would have been if, in the absence of sanctions, Rhodesia had been able fully to develop her economic potential over the past four years.