§ 46. Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the steps that have been taken to ensure that the Pearce Commission in Rhodesia will receive the opinion of political leaders now held in prison by the Rhodesian Government.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeLord Pearce has told me that he expects no difficulty in arranging this.
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§ 59. Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied that normal political action is being permitted in Rhodesia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI refer the hon. Member to the Statement which I made at the end of Questions.
§ 60. Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communication he has received from the Pearce Commission in Rhodesia in regard to the effect upon its inquiry of the outbreak of violence, the shooting of an African by the police, and the statement by Edson Sithole, the nationalist leader, that opponents of the proposed Rhodesian settlement terms are being harassed and arrested.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI would refer the hon. Member to the recent statement made by the Pearce Commission the text of which was given in my answer to Questions from the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Clinton Davis) on the 21st of January. The Commission have told me, and have also stated publicly, that their intention remains to carry out their task to the best of their ability. —[Vol. 829, c.271–3.]
§ Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has made to the illegal Smith régime concerning the continued detention of Mr. Joshua Nkomo and the Reverend N. Sithole.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeNone. As I told the hon. Member on 17th January, the White Paper sets out the arrangements which were finally agreed with Mr. Smith for dealing with the cases of detainees, and no purpose would be served by further representations on this general subject.—[Vol. 829, c. 36–7.]
§ Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in how many cases during 1970 and 1971 whipping was imposed as a penalty by the illegal courts of Rhodesia.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThese figures are not available to me.
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§ Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why members of the Press are permitted to attend the Pearce inquiry only if they are escorted by information officers in the employment of the illegal Rhodesian régime; why they are not permitted to hold private interviews; and what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government with regard to this.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI understand that the restrictions referred to by the hon. Member apply only in the Tribal Trust Lands and not in the rest of the country. Whilst the necessity to impose any restrictions on journalists may be regretted, it must be observed that no complaints on this score have so far been received by the Pearce Commission and that the full accounts appearing in the Press suggest that the arrangements made for journalists are working satisfactorily. I have made no representations on the subject.