§ 47. Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the question of arms sales to South Africa has been considered by the Western European Union.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe proceedings of the Western European Union are, of course, confidential. The House can take it that foreign policy issues of interest to member States are raised there.
§ 58. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further requests for military equipment have now been received from the South African Government additional to the proposed supply of helicopters.
3W
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI have nothing to add to what I told the House on 22nd February.—[Vol. 812, c. 34–43.]
§ 62. Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to pay an official visit to Zambia to explain why the Government have decided to sell arms to South Africa.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe Government's position was explained to the Zambian Government at the highest level at the recent Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in Singapore. I should be happy to pay a visit to Zambia if a mutually convenient time can be found.
§ 61. Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the effect on trade between the United Kingdom and African countries of Her Majesty's Government's decision to sell arms to South Africa.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI have no evidence that trade has been affected by Her Majesty's Government's statement of their intention to meet their legal obligations under the Simonstown Agreement.
§ 70. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Commonwealth countries have publicly indicated support for Her Majesty's Government's policy of supplying arms to South Africa; and how many have publicly registered formal disagreement.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeVarious Governments have made public announcements but that is not the way Governments address each other.
§ 89. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what correspondence he has had with General Gowon regarding the withdrawal of Nigeria from the Eight Nation Study Group upon the sale of arms to South Africa set up by the Commonwealth Conference in Singapore.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-Home.None. I would also remind the hon. Gentleman that the Study Group is not to examine the sale of arms to South Africa but to con- 4W sider in the broadest sense the factors affecting the security of maritime trade routes of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he consulted the Common Market countries before reaching his decision about arms sales to South Africa.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeNo. The decision on the sale of helicopters to South Africa was one for Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have received from the Common Market countries about proposed United Kingdom arms sales to South Africa; and what replies he has sent.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Ilkeston (Mr. Raymond Fletcher) and Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been publicly made to Her Majesty's Government by African Governments concerning Her Majesty's Government's decision to sell arms to South Africa; and what replies he has made.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton).
§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions concerning apartheid at the Simonstown base he attached to his sales of arms to South Africa.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-Home.None. Paragraph 4 of the Base Agreement of 1955 already requires the South African Government not to discriminate on grounds of colour in their employment practice in the dockyard.