§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he will make a statement on the efforts of the multi-party conference of the internal political parties in Namibia to organise a peace conference and in particular the multiparty conference statement of 30 October which calls for such a conference and for the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation's response to be awaited until December;
(2) whether the Government support the efforts of the multi-party conference of Namibia's internal political parties in their moves to negotiate for peaceful independence of Namibia at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken in response to the call by the multi-party conference of internal parties in Namibia to the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation to end all hostilities before 31 December 1984 in order to establish the conditions essential for a peace conference; and will he make a statement;
(4) what steps the Government are taking to support the efforts of the multi-party conference in Namibia to bring greater representation to the people of Namibia with or without the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation.
§ Mr. RifkindWe support all moves which bring an internationally recognised independence for Namibia closer. We remain committed to the early implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibia, which is the internationally agreed basis for such a settlement. We believe that current negotiations led by the United States offer the best hope of achieving this.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what specific representations the Government have made to the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation in the last six months to end its campaign of political violence in northern Namibia;
(2) what representations the contact groups have made to the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation about its campaign of violence being an obstacle to Namibian independence.
§ Mr. RifkindWe have consistently condemned violence in Namibia whether by the South African armed forces or by SWAPO. Violence can do nothing to assist the process of achieving a Namibia settlement.