Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I wish at once to express the gratitude of the whole House to the right hon. Gentleman for having come at the earliest possible moment to give us this statement after six grinding and critical days. I think, too, it gives us all satisfaction that the right hon. Gentleman has been able to play an important part in bringing the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers together and that the three of...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I am glad that my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Winchester (Rear-Admiral Morgan-Giles) was able to promote this short debate. It has enabled him to emphasise the importance in the widest context of Western security of the British base in Cyprus. Certainly in recent months its usefulness has twice been underlined. Therefore, I find him justified in the conclusion that he drew at the...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: We recognise that there is a legal Government of Cyprus in existence: it is for the Cypriots to say how that Government is to be maintained, changed or whatever they may decide. It is for them to decide, not for us, and not for anybody else outside. The second point, therefore, which I find realistic is that in the high state of emotions which are bound to rule for some time, the United...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The right hon. Gentleman will understand that, through no fault of his, I have not had time to read his statement, but I have listened with attention. I echo the tribute which he paid to our forces in Cyprus. The evacuation from the country areas into our base areas was carried out by them in the most impeccable fashion. There will be great relief in the House, following the critical days,...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The House will be obliged to the Minister. It is important that we should have the latest information. There will therefore be no complaints, I am sure, that this statement was a little late. What governs this statement, of course, is the tripartite treaty. The Minister will remember that I asked last time whether we were in close touch with the Greek Government. I am therefore glad that he...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I support what the Minister said about the need for a comprehensive settlement going far beyond the question of the Cyprus National Guard, and I hope if the Government have the opportunity they will be able to collect together the three parties to the treaty. I am sure that that is the way to find a comprehensive settlement. But for those hon. Members who are anxious about the Cyprus National...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I understand the right hon. Gentleman's reticence about an initiative, particularly during a Rhodesian general election. But does he agree that the situation in Mozambique has made it more urgent than ever that the parties in Rhodesia should come together? If he should see an opening, will he take it in order to help them to do so?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: In reply to the supplementary question put by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Rippon), the Foreign Secretary said that proposals would be put before the House. He did not quite say—at least, I did not understand him to say—that a referendum would require legislation. Is that not so?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The right hon. Gentleman does not need to apologise for making a statement about a matter which potentially could still be very dangerous. I am glad that he is taking the opportunity to consult the Turkish Prime Minister and that they are to meet in this country. I have no doubt that our Ambassador is very much in touch with the Greek Government. It is important that in all these matters we...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The House is grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his statement. We share his great relief that the Archbishop escaped the assassin's gun and is safe. I have two short questions to ask about the Archbishop. Has he asked for political asylum—indeed, does the present situation amount to political asylum since he is now on British soil? Does not the Foreign Secretary agree that probably...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The House will be grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for having come to us at the earliest possible moment with the information he has received. The House will also wish to associate itself with the right hon. Gentleman in his utter condemnation of this brutal and senseless assassination of a Head of State of a Commonwealth country, if this proves to be true. When will people learn that...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: What the hon. Gentleman is telling us about the Labour Party is very interesting, but will he turn his mind to the interests of the country for a short time?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: When the hon. Lady is reviewing the policy towards South Africa, will she recollect that the present Secretary of State for Defence told us in 1970 that his policy and that of the Socialist Government was to maximise trade with South Africa? Is that still the Government's policy?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I should like to associate myself and all my colleagues on the Opposition benches with the tribute that the right hon. Gentleman paid to President Pompidou and his services to his country, to Europe and to the world. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition and I had opportunities during the last year or 18 months to watch his indomitable courage as illness closed in upon him. He...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that when his party, in earlier years, proposed to withdraw from east of Suez, it never proposed to withdraw from Hong Kong? Does he recognise, also, the absolute importance of maintaining confidence in Hong Kong?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: My first words must be of cordial congratulation to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as he assumes his office. We have both been the shadow, but the substance is very different. Mr. Harold Macmillan used to see the Foreign Office as a killer. Perhap3 I can do something to reassure the right hon. Gentleman on that. The weighty decisions that the right hon. Gentleman...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: At least in that I am with the hon. Gentleman. I am certainly for peace. The hon. Gentleman referred to the percentage of our GNP. When his right hon. Friend examines the figures, I think that he will come to the conclusion that it is not us who ought to move down to the percentage of the others but that the others ought to move up to our percentage. The hon. Gentleman knows a great deal...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: I do not say that defence should not take its share in any cuts that have to be made, but cuts anywhere near those proposed in the resolution which was passed at the Labour Party Conference, or even the hundreds of millions of pounds mentioned in the manifesto, would, I am confident, do grave damage to our NATO stance. There is one opening which the right hon. Gentleman may be able to...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: As I have said, defence expenditure is a matter of practical politics and we cannot escape from that. I believe that we are approaching the point among our NATO allies where the line on the frontier of West Germany is almost too thin and we have to watch that with the greatest care, because if we do not great damage could be done. Meanwhile, while the ways of reconciliation are tested we...
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: The hon. Member is referring to what is mainly a communications centre. I shall explain one thing to the hon. Member about my own view on the matter. It is dangerous in an ocean such as the Indian Ocean for there to be a monopoly of one navy, and there was rapidly developing a monopoly of the Russian Naval Fleet. If I may turn back to the irritations felt between Europe and the United...
