§ Mr. Trotterasked the Lord Privy Seal which countries have not yet lifted sanctions against the colony of Southern Rhodesia.
§ Mr. LuceWe are not aware of any country, whose trade is potentially significant to Rhodesia, which has indicated that it will continue to apply sanctions.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Scat whether he will list the alleged breaches of the ceasefire in Southern Rhodesia, indicating the nature of the breach, the area in which it took place, the alleged wrongdoers and the general source of the information on which the Governor relied.
§ Mr. LuceThere have been incidents, some of them minor, almost daily. I do not think any useful purpose would be served by trying to tabulate them at any one particular moment. Information is primarily received from the monitoring force, but also from the military commanders of the Patriotic Front and Rhodesian forces.
Of the average daily level of incidents since the ceasefire came into force on 28 149W December, in which violence has been used or threatened, a high proportion has been attributable to ZANLA.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Governor of Southern Rhodesia has publicised any steps to be taken to deal with the members of the Patriotic Front who volunteered to go to the assembly areas after the deadline.
§ Mr. LuceYes. On completion of the disengagement from the rendezvous points to the assembly places the Governor issued a statement announcing that any members of the Patriotic Front who had not assembled should identify themselves to the local authorities, the police or the monitoring force. Provided they conducted themselves peacefully, they would be conducted, without their weapons, to join the Patriotic Front forces who had already assembled.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Governor of Southern Rhodesia has ordered that those who wished to go to assembly areas after the deadline should give up their weapons.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal on how many occasions the Governor of Southern Rhodesia has asked (a) the former Rhodesian security forces and (b) the former ZANLA or ZIPRA forces to assist in dealing with alleged breaches of the ceasefire; and whether these requests have all been approved by all the leaders of the respective forces.
§ Mr. LuceThe details which the hon. Member seeks are not readily available. The Governor has made extensive use of Patriotic Front military commanders and liaison officers to deal with potentially dangerous situations. Under the Lancaster House agreement it is the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order. But where they are unable to cope the Governor is entitled to use such other forces as have accepted his authority. It is a matter for the Governor's judgment which forces to use in the light of the situation.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Governor of 150W Southern Rhodesia has obtained a report from the Commonwealth monitoring force in Southern Rhodesia on the incident in which several ZIPRA guerillas who volunteered to go to an assembly area were shot dead; and if so, whether he will now publish it.
§ Mr. LuceThis incident is being investigated. The ZIPRA group was not complying with the ceasefire regulations.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Election Commissioner has investigated whether Bishop Muzorewa's ANC has booked all the buses in Rhodesia during the election campaign; and, if so, what steps the Governor intends to take.
§ Mr. LuceI have consulted the Election Commissioner, to whom no party has submitted any complaint on this matter. All parties in Rhodesia have held election rallies throughout the country in recent weeks, using large numbers of buses, and there is no evidence locally that transport has not been and is not still readily available to all.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Governor intends to set financial limits for the parties in the forthcoming election in Rhodesia; and whether the parties will be forced to divulge the source of their funds.
§ Mr. LuceNo. The only commitment under the Lancaster House agreement is for parties to disclose the level of their election expenditure but not the source of their funds.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Governor will use his powers to ensure that the parties have equal access to offices, telephones, printing facilities, broadcasting, press facilities and public address systems during the forthcoming election campaign in Rhodesia.
§ Mr. LuceIt has been agreed that all parties contesting the common roll seats will be allocated equal broadcasting time. Any complaints about alleged unfair treatment concerning the election campaign may be raised in the Election Council. The Election Commissioner will then decide what action to take.
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§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal why it is necessary for the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees to make an appeal for funds to cope with the problems of the refugees returning to Southern Rhodesia.
§ Mr. LuceThe United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees' co-ordinating role in the repatriation of refugees imposes a financial burden over and above his general fund budget.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will have any role in ensuring that refugees returning to Southern Rhodesia get the vote in the election.
§ Mr. LuceRefugees who have returned to Rhodesia by the time of the elections and meet the qualifications for voting will be able to do so.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether Her Majesty's Government have responsible for refugee citizens of Southern Rhodesia wishing to return from Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique.
§ Mr. LuceThe responsibility for ensuring the return of refugees and making arrangements for their reception will be shared by Her Majesty's Government, the neighbouring States and international organisations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has agreed to undertake the co-ordination.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if the continual call-up of Southern Rhodesians to the Southern Rhodesia security forces is being carried out with the consent of the Governor.
§ Mr. LuceYes. The routine call-up continues in order to maintain forces under the Governor's control in an efficient State.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if the Governor will arrange for refugees from Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia, whom the responsible authorities do not return to Southern Rhodesia in time for the elections, to be able to vote while in those neighbouring countries.
§ Mr. LuceThe Government have concluded that this would not be practicable. The aim is to secure the return to152W Rhodesia of as many refugees as possible before the elections.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Lord Privy Seal when South Africans with heavier weapons were first deployed on the Southern Rhodesian side of the Be it bridge, and on whose initiative.
§ Mr. LuceThe Government's concern is with the present position, which is that a detachment of South African forces is deployed with the Governor's authority to defend the bridge. This follows consultation with the South Africans.