§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approaches have been made to the illegal Smith régime in Southern Rhodesia by Her Majesty's Government, or those acting on the Government's behalf, in the last year; what information has been supplied to the Government, and by whom, of attempts made to resolve the Rhodesian problem; and what action he has taken or intends taking on these approaches.
§ Mr. Foley:Communications between Her Majesty's Government and the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia ended in April, 1969. Since then there have been no approaches by or on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to the illegal regime. We have been given no information about any other attempts to resolve the Rhodesia nproblem in the last year, but we naturally continue to see people who have first hand experience of the situation in Southern Rhodesia.
§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what persons have been sent on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to engage in talks with the regime in Rhodesia since the breakdown of the negotiations on H.M.S. " Fearless ".
§ Mr. Foley:My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, then Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs, and I with supporting officials paid two visits to Southern Rhodesia on Her Majesty's Government's behalf in November, 1968. No other persons have been sent by Her Majesty's Government to engage in talks with the illegal regime since the breakdown of the " Fearless " talks.