§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Lord Privy Seal if the Foreign Secretary's recent statement, made immediately prior to his Middle East tour, about United Nations partiality toward the South West Africa People's Organisation marks any significant change in United Kingdom foreign policy regarding Namibia.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsNo. Her Majesty's Government, together with partners in the Western Five, continue to work for a peaceful settlement in Namibia on the basis of the United Nations plan endorsed by Security Council resolution 435.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether, when the internal parties of Namibia and the South West African People's Organisation offer themselves for election in 1983, any controls will be imposed on the scale of funds and scope of activities at the disposal of those parties.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsUnder the United Nations plan for a Namibia settlement, regulations for the conduct of the elections are a matter for decision by the Administrator General, subject to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General being satisfied as to the fairness and promptness of all measures affecting the political process at all levels of administration before such measures take effect.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Lord Privy Seal if he is satisfied that the Namibia elections will be truly free and fair and that the canvassing of votes will be conducted without coercion or inducement; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsYes. The United Nations plan for a Namibia settlement envisages and provides for free and fair elections to the Namibian Constituent Assembly.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Lord Privy Seal, in view of the United Nations financial assistance to the South West African People's Organisation, he will raise with appropriate international agencies the possibility of providing funds to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance to allow it to contest the Namibian elections.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsNo. It will be for each party contesting the elections to make its own arrangements for canvassing support, subject to regulations for free and fair elections in accordance with the United Nations plan for a Namibia settlement.