South Africa (Security Council Resolution)

Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 July 1964.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mrs Barbara Castle Mrs Barbara Castle , Blackburn 12:00, 28 July 1964

asked the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to coordinate the activities of Ministers responsible for complying with the Security Council resolution of 18th June in the immediate provision of education and training facilities for non-white South Africans; and what finance Her Majesty's Government are proposing to earmark for this purpose.

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

Clause eleven of the Security Council Resolution of 18th June invited the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish a programme for the education and training abroad of South Africans.

Her Majesty's Government have not yet been approached by the Secretary-General nor have they been given any information about the proposed programme. No question of Ministerial co-ordination or of additional finance therefore arises.

Photo of Mrs Barbara Castle Mrs Barbara Castle , Blackburn

Is it not a fact that the Committee of Experts of which Sir Hugh Foot was the rapporteur attached great importance to the establishment of a United Nations South African education and training programme as one of the peaceful methods of preparing South Africa for democracy? Is it not also a fact that the Scandinavian and many African Governments have already been giving assistance to young South Africans in exile in order to enable them to take up university scholarships and other training facilities? Why will not the British Government take some initiative in this matter? What do they intend to do to carry out the promises we have made about fighting apartheid in South Africa?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

The hon. Lady is talking of the Security Council Resolution and there the initiative must come from the Secretary-General. We have a programme of our own in this country about which, from the nature of her question, I do not know whether the hon. Lady is aware. In 1963–64, 22 scholarships of one year or more were awarded by the British Council to South African post-graduate students, and 12 bursaries for a shorter term were given to candidates with lower academic qualifications. So we have a plan of our own at the moment.

Photo of Mr Christopher Mayhew Mr Christopher Mayhew , Woolwich East

Is the Prime Minister aware that the Question refers to non-white South Africans? Is he aware that the vast Majority of the cases he has quoted related to white South Africans and that this discriminates against Africans in South Africa?

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

The programme has been altered and of the remaining 18 scholarships 10 have gone to white students and eight to non-white students and of the 11 bursaries eight have gone to non-white students. More bursaries are yet to be announced which will also go to non-white students.

Prime Minister

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom

Clause

A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.

Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.

During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.

When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.

majority

The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.