§ 36. Mr. Terry Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to which members of the European Economic Community are in favour of sanctions against South Africa.
§ Mrs. ChalkerExchanges among the Twelve on matters of political co-operation are confidential. However as the House knows the Twelve have adopted a common policy of restrictive and positive measures towards South Africa, based on the communiqué issued by Foreign Ministers of the Twelve on 10 September 1985.
§ 42. Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of European Economic Community political co-operation on events in South Africa.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe common policy of the Twelve towards South Africa — as set out in the agreement adopted in Luxembourg on 10 September 1985 and in the joint communiqué adopted with the Front Line States in Lusaka on 4 February — has been directed at encouraging the South African Government to implement fundamental reforms and to open a dialogue with genuine representatives of the black population. We believe that the Twelve's actions are a factor which has to be taken into account by the South African Government.
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§ 58. Mr. Barnettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in South Africa.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWe are gravely concerned at the continuing violence in South Africa and the evidence of increasing polarisation within and between communities. We believe that the internal unrest and the recent military raids on the territory of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana underline the urgent need for a process of genuine dialogue and a suspension of violence on all sides.
§ 59. Mr. Stottasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the full range of sanctions against South Africa agreed by the Commonwealth have not been implemented by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWe have fully implemented the package of measures on South Africa agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government in Nassau on 20 October 1985.
§ 63. Mr. Maxtonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the raids of 19 May, he will now accept a policy of United Nations mandatory sanctions on South Africa.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWe, together with our European and Commonwealth partners, have adopted a number of restrictive measures towards South Africa designed to send a strong political signal of the need for fundamental reform. However, we remain opposed to general economic and trade boycotts for reasons that have been made clear on numerous occasions in the past.
§ 64. Mr. John Browneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with any member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThere have been a number of informal contacts at official and ministerial level with members of the group. The Group is. however, independent of Governments and conducts its work on a basis of confidentiality.
§ 67. Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to establish whether any of the aircraft used by the South African Air Force in the raids of 19 May were ones for which spares have been supplied by British based companies.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIn accordance with the United Nations arms embargo, we do not supply spares for military aircraft to South Africa.
§ 70. Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the report of the Commonwealth delegation in South Africa will be discussed by the European Economic Community Council.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThere are no plans as yet for the Twelve to discuss the report, which has only just been submitted to Commonwealth Heads of Government.
§ 74. Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it remains Her Majesty's Government's policy that the Eminent Persons Group can still deliver an agreement for a peaceful change in South Africa in the light of the events of 19 May.
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§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe group of eminent persons acts independently of Governments. It is for them to comment on the progress of their initiative. Recent events underline the urgent need for genuine dialogue and a suspension of violence in South Africa.
§ 77. Mr. William W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from other Commonwealth Governments on action that might he taken following recent South African aggression on neighbouring Commonwealth states.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe raids were discussed at an emergency meeting of the Commonwealth Committee on Southern Africa in London on 21 May. The committee unanimously adopted a statement condemning the South African raids and warning of the harm which they did to the hopes for peaceful change in South Africa.