HC Deb 15 June 1976 vol 913 cc139-40W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will request the International Labour Organisation to seek to initiate an investigation of the use of African mental patients as forced labour in certain mental institutions in South Africa run for private profit;

(2) if he will propose to the Director-General of the World Health Organisation that WHO seek to initiate an investigation into the treatment of African mental patients in mental institutions in South Africa run for profit by private companies;

(3) what discussions have taken place within the United Nations Commission on Human Rights concerning the treatment of African mental patients in so-called mental institutions or camps in South Africa managed by private companies and using the patients as forced labour;

(4) what response was made by the United Kingdom delegate in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (Social Committee) to the Report by the Special Committee against Apartheid concerning the inhuman treatment of African mental patients in South Africa, especially in the Rand West Sanatorium, managed for private profit by the Smith Mitchell network.

Mr. Luard

Reports of the inhuman treatment of patients in South African mental institutions which appeared in a Swedish newspaper were alluded to by the Rapporteur of the Special Committee against Apartheid in a speech to the UN Economic and Social Council on 29th April. There has been no opportunity for discussion of these allegations elsewhere in the UN, but the Rapporteur announced that he had formally requested the Director-General of the World Health Organisation to look into the matter, and suggested that it would be most appropriate for thead hoc Working Group on Southern Africa of the Commission on Human Rights to make a thorough investigation in co-operation with the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation. There has been no discussion in the Special Committee of these proposals but it is probable that the subject will now be pursued as suggested.