§ 12. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has now received an approach, official or unofficial, from the regime in Rhodesia.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) on 22nd April, to which I have nothing to add.—[Vol. 815, c. 1362.]
§ 56. Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make a statement about the negotiations with the illegal government in Rhodesia.
§ 63. Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's present contacts with the illegal Rhodesian régime.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) on 22nd April, to which I have nothing to add.—[Vol. 815, c. 1362.]
2W
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons are now detained and restricted in Rhodesia under emergency powers; and how many were so detained and restricted at the time of the unilateral declaration of independence.
§ Mr. KershawAccording to a Rhodesian statement there were on 18th March, 1971, 113 people detained under "Ministerial" Order. On 13th November, 1970 there were two people in restriction.
For the number of detainees and restrictees at the time of the illegal declaration of independence I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary gave to his Question on 15th January, 1971.—[Vol. 809, c. 149–50.]
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the percentage rate of growth of the Rhodesian economy in each of the years since the unilateral declaration of independence.
§ Mr. KershawThe following table based on the régime's latest published figures shows that although, at constant prices, there was a 16.3 per cent. increase in the gross national product between 1965 and 1969, real income per head, taking into account the population increase, showed little change over the period.
Percentage increases or decreases (in real terms over preceding year) Percentage increases or decreases (income per head in real terms over preceding year) 1966 -4.1 -6.8 1967 6.2 2.6 1968 3 -0.4 1969 10.8 7.1 Cumulative increase 1966–69 compared with 1965 16.3 1.4 Figures for 1970 have not yet been made available but reports from Southern Rhodesia suggest that last year, with its 3W relatively modest harvest and the continuance of sanctions, the growth of the economy was much less than in 1969.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give statistics of Africans employed and unemployed, respectively, in Rhodesia in each of the years since the unilateral declaration of independence; and what proportion of such Africans was non-Rhodesians from Malawi, Zambia or other foreign territories.
§ Mr. KershawRhodesian sources give the following figures for annual average African employment in the years following the illegal declaration of independence:—
1965 … … … 638,000 1966 … … … 640,000 1967 … … … 639,000 1968 … … … 663,000 1969 … … … 697,000 I regret that the other information requested is not available.