asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about relations with the Irish Republic.

It is our wish and intention to maintain good relations with the people and Government of the Irish Republic.

:While I agree with that, is not the ease with which notorious IRA men cross and recross the Border making this country a laughing stock? What progress is being made with Dublin, which is at least as much threatened by the IRA as we are, and has consideration been given to joint Border control by the RUC and the Garda Siochana?

I echo my hon. Friend's concern. Dreadful things are happening on the Border. The situation causes us deep concern in the Government. The more co-operation there can be on the Border between the Irish Republican forces and our forces, the better this will be. I will convey my hon. Friend's suggestion to the right quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the latest situation in Vietnam in the light of Her Majesty's Government's position as co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Indo-China, in the light of Her Majesty's Government's position as co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the approaches that have been made to the Soviet authorities during the last seven days with a view to re-convening the Geneva Conference on Indo-China.

I would refer to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) and for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Sproat) on 17th April. This contained a full statement of the Government's position on the situation in Vietnam. On 20th April the Ambassador in Moscow reiterated to Mr. Gromyko our suggestion that the Geneva Conference should be reconvened. Mr. Gromyko replied that he did not consider this practicable.—[Vol. 835. c. 16–17.]

:Is the hon. Gentleman really interested in the re-election of President Nixon, or is he interested in securing peace in Vietnam? Does the hon. Gentleman realise that if President Nixon escalates his bombing, especially of Hanoi and Haiphong, and if there is any retaliation involving the bombing of the South, the escalation of this war will be of proportions that we have not seen before, especially nuclear proportions? Will the hon. Gentleman therefore make strong representations to President Nixon to clear out of South Vietnam for good?

:The recent intensification of the fighting in Vietnam is clearly the result of a flagrant invasion of South Vietnam by North Vietnamese regular troops equipped with tanks, heavy artillery and rocket missiles. We greatly regret that the North Vietnamese should have taken this action instead of responding to numerous American and South Vietnamese appeals for negotiations without preconditions.

Have not the recent attacks by the North Vietnamese across the boundary to South Vietnam destroyed their claim to depend on the support of the population in the South? In addition, have not the repeated invasions by North Vietnamese in Laos and Cambodia been in breach of undertakings which they themselves gave at the Geneva Conference?

I agree with my hon. Friend's remarks. Certainly there has been no popular support in South Vietnam for the invasion. The columns of refugees moving south ahead of the invaders are an indication of this. In Saigon, even politicians in opposition to President Thieu have condemned the invasions.

Is my hon. Friend aware that his forthright statements both today and in answer to Written Questions last week will be greeted with relief and approval by all people of good sense who genuinely want peace in South Vietnam? Does not the naked and brutal aggression from the north prove the total failure of the policy of infiltration and guerrilla tactics pursued over the past several years?

Her Majesty's Government remain ready to help promote a peaceful settlement in Vietnam in any way which may be open to them. But, to be effective, any initiative by Her Majesty's Government would have to be acceptable to all the parties involved in the conflict. Unfortunately, the recent Communist attack makes it clear that they still wish to try to impose their will on South Vietnam by force rather than seek a negotiated settlement.

Will not the hon. Gentleman agree that, in the unlikely event of South Vietnam being overrun by Communist forces, the extinction of minorities is possible? Will he consult his co-Chairman in order to take every step to avoid such a contingency?

This is a matter which we would be glad to discuss with the Soviet co-Chairman if he were willing to do so.

:Is the hon. Gentleman aware the recent events in Vietnam cause those of us on this side of the House deep concern? Secondly, is he aware that we adhere to our previously stated policy that the only way to bring this conflict to an end is by reconvening the Geneva Conference? Thirdly, is he aware that we would condemn in the strongest possible terms the Government of the United States of America if the heightened level of military activity were to prove to have been a change in their stated policy of withdrawal from South-East Asia?

I think the hon. and learned Gentleman is aware that Her Majesty's Government are also deeply concerned about the situation in Vietnam. President Nixon has warned on a number of occasions that if the North Vietnamese stepped up military activity in Vietnam while United States ground forces were withdrawing, thereby endangering those American troops which remained, he reserved the right to meet the threat by the use of United States air power against military targets in North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese, therefore, know and knew what American reaction was likely to be when they launched their fresh invasion of the South.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will put forward at Geneva proposals for international control of chemical weapons, along the lines of the 1972 Treaty on Biological Weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will initiate discussions at Geneva with a view to the adoption of an international convention on the control of chemical weapons other than biological weapons.

:The problems of the international control of chemical and biological weapons are not the same. Her Majesty's Government are seeking ways to make progress towards an effective agreement on chemical weapons.

What precisely is the British objection to the Russian draft?

:The precise objection is that the two matters are totally different. Verification is essential if we are to have effective control of chemical weapons. If the Russians work with us on verification we might make some progress.

:Would it not be a helpful beginning if the Government were to announce now that on reflection they have decided that CS2 gas is within the Geneva Convention?

I do not think that that arises on this matter. This is a matter to which we are giving consideration, but it would not affect in any degree the progress we make on the CW arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the signing of the Convention on Bacteriological Weapons by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Com- monwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the agreement recently concluded on the use of germ warfare.

The Biological Weapons Convention, which is now open for signature, and which of course Her Majesty's Government have signed, represents a significant achievement for the Disarmament Conference. It prohibits in all circumstances the possesssion of biological weapons. I am glad to record that it was the result of a British initiative. I hope it will soon come into force.

Does my right hon. Friend accept that both the present Government and the previous Government deserve great credit for their respective parts in carrying the matter forward to a successful conclusion? Will he confirm that the convention involves the actual destruction of existing weapons and that, therefore, this is the first convention which involves real disarmament as opposed to arms control?

:Yes. I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I gladly accord a degree of the success on this matter to the previous Administration which initiated much of this work, but the achievement is significant. As my hon. Friend has pointed out, it provides for the destruction of existing weapon stocks. This is a pointer to the way in which we will proceed in future with other matters of this kind.

:Does the Minister appreciate that some hon. Members on this side of the House understand the difference between chemical and biological warfare? Does he agree that, the Russians for the first time having accepted the principle of verification in this convention, this is possibly a hope for the future? Will he tell us whether the Government intend speedily to ratify the convention and whether they will take an early opportunity of trying to bring China into any future discussions on this and related matters?

I am grateful for what the hon. Gentleman has said. If he studies the convention carefully he will realise that the arrangements for verification are minute. We have to build on this and produce something more. However, it is hopeful so far as it goes. Certainly it is our intention to go forward to ratification, but the convention cannot come into force until 22 States have ratified. I hope that it will not be long before this happens. I agree that it is desirable to bring China into the disarmament discussions and we shall certainly do all that we can to that end.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts he has had with the Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia over the future status of the Malacca Straits.

:We have informed the Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as that of Singapore, of our view that the Malacca Straits are straits which are used for international navigation between one part of the high seas and another, and between one part of the high seas and the territorial sea of a particular State. It is the view of Her Majesty's Government that ships of all States have a right of unimpeded passage through such straits.

:Is it not a matter of concern to all maritime nations that there is a growing tendency to erode the principle of freedom of navigation on the high seas? Will my hon. Friend be raising this matter during the preparatory stages of the United Nations international conference on the Law of the Sea?

:We have supported the preparatory work for this conference which we regard, as indeed my hon. Friend clearly does, as the right place for settling problems such as the status of the Malacca Straits.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guarantees he is now offering to Asian countries in the Commonwealth that the level of trade they currently have with Great Britain will not be reduced if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community.

We and the Community have said that it will be our continuing objective to expand and reinforce existing trade relations with these countries.

The European Economic Community is ready from the date of our accession to examine with these countries any problems that may arise in the field of trade with a view to seeking a satisfactory solution.

Since only 20 per cent. of the imports of the Six come from developing countries compared with our 26 per cent. and since the Asian members of the Commonwealth have not been offered associate status within the Community, will the Minister acknowledge that under present arrangements these countries, which comprise one-fifth of the world's population, will suffer a serious loss of trade if Britain enters the EEC?

:The majority of exports from these countries to the United Kingdom will not be affected by our gradual adoption of the common external tariff either because the rates of duty will be zero—for instance, tea—or because of the Community's generalised scheme of preferences.

Does my hon. Friend agree that already the European Economic Community has changed its policy considerably towards those countries and has much liberalised trade with them?

That is correct.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the dossier prepared by Mr. Ian Smith on the allegations of violence and intimidation when the Pearce Commission was in Southern Rhodesia.

:No, Sir. The dossier was presented to the Pearce Commission and not to me and it is for the Commission to consider it.

Bearing in mind that unless information such as this dossier is said to contain is made publicly available very little credibility can be attached to it, and also bearing in mind the Foreign Secretary's knowledge of the intimidation, the assaults, the imprisonment and the detention which have taken place concerning people who were campaigning against the terms of the settlement, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to make available to the House the most detailed information possible about what took place when the Pearce Commission was in Rhodesia?

:I shall consider the matter, but I should prefer to see the Pearce Report first. The hon. Member will remember that Lord Pearce particularly asked for two extra commissioners to deal with this question of intimidation, so I should like to see his report first.

:Although there was a certain amount of intimidation or direct pressure both ways, would my right hon. Friend agree that the degree and extent of it was not really as great as to invalidate the findings of the Pearce Commission, whatever they may be?

:Lord Pearce considered this at one time in relation to whether his commission could stay in Rhodesia, and obviously he considered that he could carry on with his job. The situation was not such as to prevent his staying there. As regards the future, I should like to consider what my hon. Friend has said, but we must see Lord Pearce and his report.

The right hon. Gentleman has twice said that he wants to see Lord Pearce's report. Can he say what the present status is of that, when he hopes to receive it and when we are likely to hear a statement on it? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, in the absence of the publication of this document prepared by Mr. Smith, there is considerable concern that action may be taken against people on very tainted evidence?

I think I shall receive the report very shortly, in a matter of a few weeks—I hope at about the beginning of May. Thereafter we shall have to debate the matter, which will be a matter for discussion between the right hon. Gentleman, the usual channels and myself. It is a report to me and I should like to have time to consider it. The House, too, will want to consider all these matters. I shall bear in mind what the right hon. Gentle- man has said, particularly about detainees.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the facts that an illegal tribunal has declared that the continued detention of Garfield and Judith Todd and Josiah and Ruth China-mano is necessary in the interests of public safety and order, and that the illegal régime is unwilling to try people in an open court of law, what action Her Majesty's Government will now take to free these British subjects from detention without trial.

:As the House knows, we have made representations about these detentions, but we have no power to secure release or open trial.

:What action is the right hon. Gentleman proposing to take to secure some power to reimpose the reality of British rule in Rhodesia and to secure the release of all those detained without trial by the usurping régime?

:As to reimposing the reality of power, the hon. Gentleman knows that his Government could not impose what he calls the reality of power. They tried once in relation to those Africans condemned to be hanged, and they failed. At least the position about detainees is better than it was two years ago. There are 67 now, where there were 133 before. No one is content with that, but at least the position is better.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raised the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest developments with regard to the work of the Pearce Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is yet able to make a statement on the conclusions of the Pearce Commission, and on the United Kingdom's relations with the Rhodesian Government in the light of these conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he can now give the date when he expects to receive Lord Pearce's report on the proposed settlement with Rhodesia.

:The Pearce Commission is still preparing its report. I hope to receive it fairly soon. As I told the House on 27th March, I shall then need some time to consider the report before making any further statement of policy.—[Vol. 834, c. 4.]

:Will the right hon. Gentleman explain the sort of back-door pressure which the illegal régime in Rhodesia is seeking to exercise upon him and upon the Pearce Commission? Further, will he say who the emissaries were who were received by his Department last week from that régime, what was the purpose of their visit and what was its outcome?

:The hon. Gentleman is mistaken if he thinks that I am inclined to give way to what he calls back-door pressure. That is not my habit. As regards the emissaries, the hon. Gentleman will know that we have a representative in Salisbury all the time. Mr. Smith wanted two of his close advisers to talk about possibilities for the future, and I thought that it was a sensible thing to do.

:Can my right hon. Friend give some idea when he will be able to make a statement to the House—for example, whether it will be before the Whitsun Recess—and will he say how many officials we have representing our Government in the Rhodesian capital?

I imagine that my hon. Friend did not hear the earlier exchanges on that point. I hope to receive the report some time about the beginning of May. Thereafter it will be for me to study the report, and that I shall do. We shall then arrange through the usual channels for a statement and debate. My hon. Friend spoke of the Whitsun Recess. It is a matter which we shall have to consider through the usual channels; we shall try to make the timing convenient to the House.

Could the right hon. Gentleman clarify the answers which he has given? It is his intention, is it not, to publish the report after he has had time to study it?

Yes, Sir of course.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Empress Catharine once put a guard on a snowdrop, and it was found to be still there 200 years later? Is not our guard on the Mozambique Channel rapidly falling into the same category?

The hon. and learned Gentleman's analogies are always amusing. While sanctions last, we have to maintain our obligations under them.

asked the-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the illegal Rhodesian régime concerning infringements of the undertakings given to him by Mr. Smith prior to the establishment of the Pearce Commission; and what reply he has received.

I would wish to see Lord Pearce's findings on this before I decide whether any action is called for.

:Is the right hon Gentleman aware that Mr. Smith is still pursuing viciously racialist policies, despite the undertakings that were given prior to the setting up of the Pearce Commission, notably about the razing to the ground, purely for racialist reasons, of the homes of black Rhodesians? What representations did the right hon. Gentleman make last week to the secret emissaries from the Smith régime?

I have told Mr. Smith on many occasions that we disagree with the action he has taken, that we deplore some of his actions in this respect and that these detentions are unjustified. However, I have no power to insist on what action Mr. Smith should take in Rhodesia. I would like to see Lord Pearce's findings on this matter before considering any further action I can usefully take.

Why did the right hon. Gentleman think it proper for emissaries of the Smith régime to be received by his Department while the British Government thought it improper to have a meeting with Bishop Muzorewa on his recent visit?

:I am always willing to see anybody from Rhodesia who wishes to see me if I think that such a meeting will contribute towards a solution of the present difficult problem. I do not think I was here when the Bishop was in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has from the Commonwealth Secretariat about the admission of Bangladesh to the Commonwealth.

:As the Commonwealth Secretary-General announced last week, Bangladesh has now been admitted to the Commonwealth. This is welcome news and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister sent a message to Sheik Mujib to say so.

:I warmly welcome the admission of Bangladesh to the Commonwealth. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is encouraging for the future of the Commonwealth that a new nation such as Bangladesh should set the value which it appears to have done on Commonwealth membership? Will the right hon. Gentleman tell the House when he expects to visit Bangladesh?

I agree with the hon. Gentleman on the first part of his question. I hope to visit Bangladesh at either the end of June or the beginning of July.

Has my right hon. Friend any information about the release of Pakistani prisoners of war by Bangladesh?

Not as yet. Most of the prisoners of war are in India. If my hon. Friend would like a more detailed answer, perhaps he would put down a Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the course of discussions on continuing aid to Bangladesh, he will make representations to the Government on the desirability of humane treatment of the Bihari population.

:This is, of course, primarily a matter for the Bangladesh Government, but it has inevitably arisen in the course of my exchanges with them. Sheik Mujibur Rahman has assured me that he has taken all measures necessary for ensuring the safety and security of the minorities. The International Red Cross has been concerned with the welfare of the Biharis and Her Majesty's Government have given financial support for its work.

:I am obliged to my right hon. Friend for that reply, and I appreciate the caution with which he has to approach a matter of this kind, but would it not at least be reasonable to point out to the Government of Bangladesh that the number of Biharis in Bangladesh is about the same as the number of Bengalis in West Pakistan, and the latter have not been molested in any way whatever?

I should correct my hon. Friend's figures. There are about 1 million Biharis in Bangladesh and 200,000 Bengalis in Pakistan, so there is a discrepancy there. I believe that Sheik Mujib wants, about all, that the Biharis should be able to live peacefully in Bangladesh, and I think that this is the right answer. There may be some exchanges arranged, but my hon. Friend will see the magnitude of the task if it is to be extended very far.

Have we had independent confirmation of Sheik Mujib's assurance regarding the security of the Biharis either from our own relief teams in Dacca or from our mission there?

:Yes, Sir; we have constant reports from our mission there, and we have reports also from the International Red Cross. At one time there was a fear that there might be risings and massacres but, happily, very little has occurred, and one must hope that the Biharis will be safe in Bangladesh. As I say, the possibility of a limited exchange is one matter, but the problem is very large, as the hon. Gentleman realises.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about British aid or technical assistance towards the rebuilding of the Hardinge Bridge in north-west Bangladesh.

:At the request of the Bangladesh Government, we have concluded a contract with Selco Ltd., a Singapore firm, to remove and salvage the fallen spans of the Hardinge and King George VI railway bridges. We havealso engaged a British firm of consulting engineers to supervise this work.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that news will be greatly welcomed by the Government of Bangladesh, particularly as we built this bridge originally and should, in my view, have some responsibility for it? Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that this project goes through in the fastest possible manner to enable Indian grain trains to get through before the monsoon season starts?

I understand the urgency of the matter. The firm started mobilising vessels and equipment 10 days ago and the consulting engineer has been discussing with the company recently and hopes to be in Dacca today, so no time should be lost.

While also welcoming the news which the right hon. Gentleman has announced, may I ask whether he is aware that the most acute problem in Bangladesh is that of transport? Does he appreciate that the measures which he has announced represent one important step forward but that other forms of aid, particularly those directed to the transport of food and materials, and especially housing materials, are urgently required and that the rest of the developed world could be of great assistance in this respect at comparatively small cost?

:Further Questions appear on the Order Paper about Bangladesh and I am sure that when they are answered the hon. Gentleman will learn the other information he requires.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the latest convenient figures for British aid to Bangladesh.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on British aid to Bangladesh.

:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is now in a position to make a further statement about British aid for Bangladesh.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, and Commonwealth Affairs if he will help Bangladesh to avoid the danger of famine by sending trucks, buses, boats, fuel and technicians as requested publicly by Sheik Mujibur Rahman on 14th March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further action he proposes to aid Bangladesh.

:I understand that the Foreign Secretary wishes to answer Questions Nos. 32, 33, 34, 36 and 37 at the end of Question Time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if implementation of the second and third stages of the European Economic Community economic and monetary union will require parliamentary legislative enactment:

(2) what rôle his Department is performing in respect of the European Economic Community proposals for economic and monetary union.

No specific proposals have yet been made about the second and third stages of movement towards economic and monetary integration in the European Communities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in close consultation with the Treasury and, where appropriate, with other Government Departments, pays close attention to developments in this field.

Since the Government have accepted in principle economic and monetary union by 1980, does not the Minister think it is a fit subject for parliamentary legislative enactment before we give up national control of our monetary and fiscal policies, before we have to co-ordinate economic policy at Community level and before we have to submit our national Budgets to the Council of Ministers for recommendations to this Parliament before being submitted to this Parliament?

The hon. Gentleman must realise that the nature and the form of what is agreed will determine consequent action. Nothing has as yet been agreed beyond the first stage, the resolution of 21st March.

What is the objection to parliamentary action?

The objection to parliamentary action is that we cannot decide what action should be taken in this country until we know what is proposed.

:We are not a bit surprised to hear that this economic and monetary will-of-the-wisp has not got any further, but we are relieved to hear the hon. Gentleman's answer that it has not.

:I think the right hon. Gentleman is not being completely fair. Progress towards economic and monetary harmonisation in Europe is complementary to all our hopes for a world-wide reform of the international monetary system to make it more responsive to the needs of the 'seventies. If Europe develops a common voice on these matters, it could give a powerful stimulus to reform.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there is no agreement that a regional economic or monetary union of this sort will assist world monetary developments on the basis that they should develop and that the very reverse may be the truth? May I ask the hon. Gentleman, in conjunction with the Treasury, to consider seriously where the Government will get to, even though I recognise that the difficulties of doing this are, thank heavens, so formidable that nothing is likely to happen?

I recognise that the right hon. Gentleman does not agree with the Government's view of this, but it is our view that progress towards economic and monetary harmonisation in Europe will lead ultimately towards the hoped-for world-wide reform of the international monetary system.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next be meeting the Council of Ministers of the Common Market.

:My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I meet Foreign Ministers of the Six and the acceding States fairly frequently at the meetings preparatory to the European Summit Conference and at those for political consultation. With the completion of the negotiations we have no present plans to meet the Council of Ministers as such.

:In spite of that, before the next meeting, when they do meet should not the Government make their views publicly known about the question of direct elections to the European Parliament? Why are the Government being so coy about this aspect, particularly in view of the simply derisory vote yesterday in France in favour of an enlarged Community?

:On the last point, I am not sure whether my hon. Friend is claiming this as a victory for a referendum here. On the first point that he raised, when we come to meet the Council as a Council we shall no doubt discuss with it the question of direct elections and their practicability. But this is a matter that needs discussion and on which we should not lay down the law.

As M. Pompidou's propaganda-motivated referendum has fallen flat, would the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to recommend to his right hon. Friend that he should be allowed to go to the Council of Ministers and say that the Prime Minister of Great Britain has at last agreed to honour his election pledge and have a General Election, and show the Europeans how to do it properly?

I thought that hon. Gentlemen opposite were not quite as keen on a General Election lately as they were some weeks ago. The hon. Gentleman asked about a referendum. The possibility of holding a referendum is written into the French constitution. It is nothing to do with me.

Are there not encouraging signs that opinion in the Six is moving towards accepting the need for a common regional industrial policy? Is not this likely to be very much to our advantage, and will British Ministers be following it up?

Yes, Sir, I think there are considerable hopes that the regional policy of the Community will help us a great deal.

:Will not the next meeting of the Council of Ministers be concerned primarily with arrangements regarding the EFTA countries? Can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that he will bring all possible pressure to bear to ensure that a reasonable and fair agreement is reached?

:A number of the EFTA countries have been negotiating with and are in contact with the Commission; we also are in contact with the Commission and the Foreign Ministers of the other countries. The hon. Gentleman can rest assured that we shall do our best to protect their interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about current Anglo-Guatemalan relations.

Our relations are affected by the Guatemalan claim to British Honduras. The aim of Her Majesty's Government is that British Honduras should achieve independence free from any claim against her territory and on good terms with her neighbours. We shall continue our attempts to achieve a negotiated settlement.

:What precedent is there for the situation to which the combined posturings of the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence have brought us, namely, that we have to submit to a foreign observer, in this case one from the OAS, to oversee the withdrawal of British troops from a British dependent territory?

The hon. Gentleman has got it wrong, as usual. It is not a question of the British Government having to submit. The British Government offered to provide facilities for an observer because—[Laughter.] There is no point in the hon. Gentleman laughing about this. I am giving him the facts. There was an allegation by the Guatemalan Government that we had larger forces than we have. We therefore suggested that the OAS might care to send an observer to see who was telling the truth. Britain is telling the truth.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom Government will support the application of the German Democratic Republic for membership in the World Health Organisation to be made at the forth coming World Health Assembly.

:No, Sir. As I told the House on 21st January, the international status of the German Democratic Republic has for long been in dispute. The question of East German participation in the World Health Organisation is a political issue which, we believe, should not be dealt with in a technical body such as the World Health Organisation but in an appropriate political organ of the United Nations, such as the General Assembly.—[Vol. 829. c. 275.]

Will not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the intrusion of power politics into the specialised agencies of the United Nations is regrettable and that the World Health Organisation Assembly would benefit from the equal participation of all nations, including the German Democratic Republic?

:I agree that the intrusion of power politics into these specialised agencies is wrong. I had some experience of it myself in the past. I remember an occasion at a UNESCO meeting in Paris when I was involved in a difficult situation as a result of such intrusion. Others are seeking to make that intrusion into the WHO, and we think it wrong; we consider that matters of this kind should be settled in the political organs of the United Nations.

The right hon. Gentleman is showing no sense of urgency on this matter. Is he aware that although some of us agree that this particular problem and others similar can, perhaps, not be primarily solved by individual solutions along the lines suggested by my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill), we should wish to express our strong support for the Ostpolitik now being pursued so vigorously by the West German Administration? Will he agree that it might well be that within that context there is the best chance for the future of making eventual use of the undoubted talents of the GDR?

I understand what the hon. and learned Gentleman says about the Ostpolitik, and we have always supported that Ostpolitik. But it is for the Bundestag itself to make the decisions in this regard, and, just as we should resent being told by it what decisions we should come to, I feel that it is wrong for us to suggest what decision it should take. As I say, we have always supported the Ostpolitik, and, if the Bundestag should ratify, we should welcome it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to secure the release of Rudolf Hess.

My hon. Friend knows my interest and concern about this. Nothing can be done without Soviet agreement. As my hon. Friend is aware, Her Majesty's Government have made numerous representations to the Soviet authorities that the dictates of humanity require that Hess should be released. We are always willing to make a further approach to them when we consider that this might achieve a positive result.

:I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but will he put this matter on the agenda for the next four-Power conference in Berlin? How long will the British Government remain party to the detention of one man as a solitary prisoner in a 600-cell prison in Spandau?

As I say, I share my hon. Friend's concern. Before signature of the final quadripartite protocol, we have to agree with the Russians the details regarding establishment of their consulate-general and commercial premises in West Berlin. It may be that discussion of these questions will offer an opportunity to raise once again the question of Hess, but I can make no promises. It is a question of priorities, and the Berlin agreement must come first.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's relations with Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively.

:I informed the House on 27th March—[Vol. 834, c. 31–32]—that President Bhutto had told me that he hoped to maintain and improve Pakistan's bilateral relations with the United Kingdom. This is Her Majesty's Government's wish also, although Pakistan's decision to leave the Commonwealth will inevitably involve changes and the loss by Pakistan of certain privileges.

As regards Bangladesh, we wish to develop further our present good relations with that country and I am sure the House will join me in welcoming Bangladesh into the Commonwealth.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware of the offer by President Bhutto to release the Indian prisoners whom Pakistan holds without necessarily claiming a quid pro quo? Will Her Majesty's Government do everything possible to assist the normalisation of relations between the two countries?

Yes, Sir. I hoped to contribute towards that objective when I was in Pakistan. I am glad to say that the emissaries of India and Pakistan will be meeting shortly and will be covering these questions.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that we have arrived at an anomalous situation when Bangladesh is inside the Commonwealth and Pakistan is outside? Will he ask the Commonwealth Secretary-General to approach President Bhutto with a view to persuading him in the new circumstances to return to the Commonwealth, which would, among other things, bring great relief from anxiety to Pakistanis in this country?

:We would very much like Pakistan to return to the Commonwealth and I said this to President Bhutto when I was recently in Pakistan. For the moment, however, he has made his judgment, but I hope it is not final.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the Rev. Arthur Lewis of Rusape, Rhodesia, has not been allowed to enter Great Britain with his family on compassionate grounds to visit his elderly and ailing father.

:The Rev. Lewis, who is a United Kingdom citizen, was not refused permission to enter this country with his family. I understand they are now here.

I welcome that answer. Why was there such a long delay and why was this man asked to furnish nine different documents, four of which were in this country? Is my right hon. Friend aware that this case inevitably bears comparison with the treatment meted out to Bishop Muzorewa?

:I think that the Rev. Lewis thought he could travel only on a Rhodesian passport. It was discovered that he and his family had a right to a United Kingdom passport, so the formalities were due to giving him a better passport than he would otherwise have.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why he has tapered off the aid given to the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory from 55 per cent. of the costs to 35 per cent.

A condition of the grant, when it was made in 1963, was that it should be tapered over a period of years, both because technical assistance like this was properly a pump-priming operation and because tapering would progressively release funds for new schemes. It was also felt that institutions like this labora- tory should progressively become the responsibility of the Governments or universities of the countries in which they were situated.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that this laboratory is integrated into a whole network of preventive medicine, not only in Trinidad but throughout the region, including South America? Does he further realise the great demands that are placed on this money and the increased staff that is required to monitor things like influenza, which can have a great effect on the health services here because the virus of influenza does not stop in Trinidad?

I agree that the work of the laboratory is extremely important but I insist on the validity of the points I have made; and in spite of the percentage tapering the amount that we are now providing is considerably higher than the amount we were providing in the last three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the average increase in the per capita income of developing countries and the developed countries, respectively, during the 1960s, or any other recent similar period for which figures are available.

:It was 2·1 per cent. and 4·2 per cent., respectively, between 1960 and 1968, at constant factor prices.

:Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that those figures indicate that the under-developed world has suffered a relative decline in its overall position? Are not the trading policies being adopted by the developed countries most unsatisfactory and will the Government support policies at UNCTAD which will reverse that relative trend in the next decade?

This is naturally a matter which gives us all the deepest concern, on whichever side of the House we sit because we want to try to narrow the gap between the developing and the developed countries. I hope that the present discussions at UNCTAD will suggest ways by which we can make progress. The Government have been doing their best to make progress, for example by accepting a target for aid and by taking steps to increase the flow of private investment to the developing countries.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the increased gap between the developed and the underdeveloped countries to which he referred is causing great concern and distress and that it appears that Her Majesty's Government at UNCTAD in Santiago are doing nothing but uttering a lot of words without taking any concrete steps to support the vitally important proposals which are being made there by the developing countries?

As the right hon. Lady knows, we shall have later in the week a chance to discuss all these matters at length, and I hope that on that occasion it will be possible for Ministers to explain in detail the sort of things we have in mind.

Is it not a fact that some of the developing countries could do their own cause a great deal of good and greatly accelerate the rate of growth of their economies if they took steps to encourage private investment to a greater extent, in conjunction with the steps that are being taken by the developed countries?

That is an important factor. I am sure that my hon. Friend is aware that the developing countries have made and are making great efforts to improve their growth rates and that some have been remarkably successful.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give greater consideration to the kind of aid we give to the developing and under-developed nations? Western Europe helps them by giving them technical advice, but the situation is not satisfactory when it comes to purchasing the goods they produce. At one time we received a ton of cocoa from some of the developing countries as the price of every tractor we sold to them, but now we receive five tons. Is that how we help them?

Questions of trade with the developing countries are obviously strictly the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. But if the hon. Gentleman considers the matter he will realise that our own trading policies have been among the most liberal of the developed countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what new power stations he has authorised for construction during the seven years from 1st April, 1972; what aggregate megawatts installed are embraced by this seven years' authorisation; and how much is coal-fired, how much is oil-fired and how much is nuclear-powered.

:With the permission of the House, I will circulate, in the Official Report, the details requested for the CEGB stations now under construction and including Ince B. This programme extends until 1978 and the CEGB advises me that it has no firm plans at present for further orders for major stations.

But can my hon. Friend say whether any coal-fired stations are included in the seven-years' programme to 1978? As the Central Electricity Generating Board today consumes about half of our total output of coal, is it not essential to the future plans of the National Coal Board that it should know exactly what off-take of coal is needed at the power stations?

My hon. Friend will see in the OFFICIAL REPORT that the Kingsnorth power station is both oil- and coal-fired and the Didcot power station is coal-fired. It is the CEGB that has to make its recommendation to the Minister on its plans for fuel for future stations.

:What growth rate forecasts has the CEGB in its future plans? Do they correspond with the forecasts of growth made by the Government in their very optimistic statement?

If the right hon. Gentleman will put down a Question on growth rate, I shall then, and only then, be able to give him the exact answer.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his conversations with the owners of licensed small mines are completed; and what steps he now proposes to take in connection with such small mines in regard to their licensing facilities.

:No, Sir. I am awaiting information from the Federation of Small Mines of Great Britain to enable me to consider its claim for assistance. It agreed last week to meet my Department this coming Wednesday to see what can be achieved.

I compliment my hon. Friend upon the acceleration of the arrangements on behalf of the small licensed private enterprise pits. I remind him that they make a useful contribution to meeting the overall coal shortage today. Is he aware that we are still importing coal, which is quite disgraceful and a drain on our national re- sources? Would not it be sensible for a Conservative Government to encourage private enterprise and the expansion of the small mines licensing arrangements?

:It is to look at the whole problem of the small mines, through their federation, since the settlement of the miners' wage claim, that the meeting has been arranged, and it is with that intention that I have purposely asked that it should be brought forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grants have been made in the last five years for the development of telecommunications stored programme control techniques; and what results have been so far obtained.

:No grants have been made. However, the National Research Development Corporation is providing financial assistance of about £4 million for a project of the Plessey Co. Ltd. Work is proceeding on the project.

:Is the Minister prepared to say when results will be declared from that project? Is he aware that they will have a great significance for future investment in the Post Office, and should be known as quickly as possible?

:I cannot tell the hon. Gentleman when the results will be known. This is a matter which rests not with me but with the Plessey Company. I fully understand the latter part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question and shall have it drawn to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received the communication dated 16th April from the hon. Member for West Ham, North asking him to exercise his statutory authority regarding the Altodie Limited and Altodie (Northern) Limited Companies; what action he has taken; and what was the nature of his reply to the hon. Member.

Yes, Sir. This letter was received last week, acknowledged last week and a reply will be sent as soon as possible, I hope this week.

I am very much obliged for the expeditious way in which the interim announcements are being made. But will the hon. Gentleman give me an assurance that he will not allow this case to drag on as his Department did with regard to John Bloom, Vehicle and General and about 20 other companies that have been deliberately and consistently breaking the law for years and years, with no action taken against them? Will he treat such companies a little more viciously, in the same way as the trade unions have been treated viciously over their breaking the law?

I think the hon. Gentleman will agree that he would be the first to want to ensure that a full and proper investigation was carried out and that no blame or anything else was suggested until the inquiry had been carried through. That has always been the intention of my Department, and I intend to see that it continues in that way.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of monthly or annual dates the number of cash amounts of imports of footwear from each of the countries of the Six; to what extent import duties were imposed; how entry into the European Economic Community on present terms will affect the increase of such imports; and whether it will be possible to impose import duties and quota restrictions without reference to the Communities.

:Figures from 1963 to 1970 are published under Division 85 in the Annual Statement of Trade and, for 1971, in the December, 1971, issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics. These show that imports from the EEC were £20 million in 1971. The current full rates of import duty range from 4p to 20p per pair or 5 to 10 per cent ad valorem. Entry into the EEC is expected to stimulate trade generally in both directions. After entry, we will not be able to impose duties and quota restrictions without reference to the Communities.

:Some hon. Members with constituencies in which footwear factories are situated already complain of unemployment and difficulty. Do I take it from that reply that we shall find that shoes from Italy and other Common Market countries will be able to come here without question, without import duties or restrictions of any sort, and that this country cannot say or do anything about it and only the EEC countries can?

:It is not possible at present to make valid estimates of the likely growth of trade in footwear, whether imports or exports. The industry carried out a study of the matter at a conference in December. To deal with serious and persistent difficulties, Article 135 of the Treaty of Accession allows the Commission to authorise protective measures during the transitional period.

Does not my hon. Friend agree that employment in the footwear industry would be best secured by a healthy export trade to the EEC countries, which will be helped by our entry into the EEC?

I have every reason to believe that that will be one of the factors to benefit the footwear industry.

Is not the matter slightly more complicated than the Minister suggested? For example, the EEC has an agreement with Spain and I understand that certain companies are making arrangements to have footwear produced in Spain, have it brought into the EEC and from there brought into this country, which will create all sorts of difficulties for workers in the footwear industry in this country, who in any case in certain areas like Merseyside already face unemployment problems.

I have not the specific information about Spain which the hon. Gentleman requests. I am willing to look into the matter and write to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on developments relating to the future of the yards in the Upper Clyde.

Mr. Harbin of the Marathon Manufacturing Company has agreed to come to London for further discussions about his company's possible acquisition of the Clydebank yard and will be meeting tomorrow my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industrial Development.

:I welcome that reply. Can we have an assurance from the Minister that the top management of Govan Shipbuilders is not likely to undergo further changes and that the disquieting Press reports about Mr. Kenneth Douglas can be denied and that he will give full-time attention to stabilising employment in Govan Shipbuilders Ltd.?

The Government will take all possible steps within the existing powers to encourage the purchase of the yard. This is what hon. Members on both sides want. I assure the House that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industrial Development has given, is giving, and will continue to give every consideration to this matter.

Can my hon. Friend assure the House that full details of any agreement which may be reached with Mr. Harbin of the Marathon Manufacturing Company will be placed in the Library of the House, including full details of monitoring procedure for any sums provided to that company?

:I will certainly draw that question to the attention of my right hon. Friend. Obviously some of this may be commercial information, and there are problems which might arise in that regard. I will consider the matter fully.

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the hon. Members concerned, and to help Thursday's debate, I should now like to answer Questions Nos. 32, 33, 34, 36 and 37 together.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development told the House on 6th March, the Government at that time had pledged £3 million for relief in Bangladesh and had signed agreements providing for non-project aid totalling £4·8 million. Of the sum offered for relief, £1 million has been paid in cash to the United Nations and £200,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The balance has been spent on Bailey bridging, ferry boats and equipment, marine engines and spare parts, trucks and Decca navigational aids, which the Bangladesh Government told us were their priority requirements. The bulk of these supplies have been dispatched; in addition, a small team of Royal Engineers is in Bangladesh advising the authorities on the erection of the Bailey bridges.

Our principal anxiety had been that there would be a shortage of food in Bangladesh leading to famine. Fortunately, according to the Bangladesh Government the necessary supplies of food grains for the next three months have been assured. They are not, therefore, asking for immediate further assistance in the form of food supplies. The paramount needs now are to improve the distribution of the available supplies and to provide seed and fertilisers for the next crop. These considerations have dictated the make-up of the aid supplied under our £3 million pledge.

In view, however, of the continuing need, exemplified in the United Nations Secretary-General's appeal to the countries of the world for assistance, the British Government have decided to set aside a further £6 million for relief and rehabilitation in Bangladesh, to be spent on purposes to be agreed with the Bangladesh Government and the United Nations Relief Operation, Dacca. We have in mind in particular a further cash payment to the United Nations, the repair of the Hardinge and King George VI bridges, the purchase of rice to supplement food supplies later this year and the supply of 12 sea trucks particularly asked for to meet an urgent request by the United Nations Secretary-General

:We all welcome the extra £6 million. May I ask the Foreign Secretary about exactly the terms of future aid to the United Nations? In relation to the Biharis, will he say precisely what are the terms of the proposition that we have put to the International Red Cross; because in answer to a Question earlier this afternoon he gave the impression that it was earmarked as aid to the Biharis?

We have already made one payment of £200,000. We are from time to time assisting the Red Cross in its action concerning the Biharis. If the Red Cross comes back to us, we shall consider giving further assistance.

I am sure that the £6 million will be deeply appreciated. Did the Foreign Secretary see the statement by Sheik Mujib last month that Bangladesh still needs buses, trucks, boats, fuel and technicians to distribute the food? Could we not help in that regard, first for the sake of Bangladesh and, secondly, and perhaps selfishly, because it would help employment in Britain as well?

:Some of the methods of assistance mentioned by the hon. Gentleman can no doubt be financed out of the £6 million. The immediate and most pressing need, so the Secretary-General of the United Nations told me when he was here the other day, was the "sea trucks". We are getting them out to Pakistan immediately.

I am sure that the whole House will wish to congratulate my right hon. Friend on what he has already done for Bangladesh and on making the extra £6 million available. Is there any chance of improving the financing of current payments, particularly in relation to ECGD cover, because there is still a hold-up there? Help in this direction would affect employment in Britain and assist relief in Bangladesh. There is some difficulty about ECGD cover at the moment, and this could be sorted out with my right hon. Friend's assistance.

I hope that a Bangladesh consortium will shortly be formed. I will consider what my right hon. Friend has said on the question of ECGD cover and whether there are any defects which can be removed.

In view of the large number of smaller bridges which were damaged in Bangladesh, apart from the large bridges like Hardinge and King George VI, is it possible for a large part of the £6 million to be earmarked almost immediately for the comparatively small repairs, if indeed that is what the Bangladesh Government want, on the smaller bridges, as the first priority is to such a great extent improving land communications so that food and materials can be moved about within the country?

We should like to take the advice of the Bangladesh Government and of the experts on the spot on this point. The Royal Engineers who are out there will be of great assistance in this respect, too. I will bear the hon. Gentleman's point in mind.

Does the Foreign Secretary agree that, apart from seeds, the Bangladesh also needs supplies of cotton yarn, nylon, nets and livestock to get the country going again? What steps could be taken within the £6 million in this direction?

I rather hope that a large number of other countries, and also more countries than last time, will help with subscriptions towards Bangladesh's various needs. It is for the Bangladesh Government to estimate their priorities. We will do our best to help them.

What proportion of the total aid announced to Bangladesh does Her Majesty's Government's contribution constitute? How much is Russian aid? How muck is Eastern European aid? In that connection, have the Bangladesh Government requested Her Majesty's Government to give assistance with the clearing of ports, or do they intend to rely entirely on Russian Navy personnel?

:There have been reports that Chittagong and Chalna are not operating, but we are now told that they are operating at about 85 per cent. efficiency. The Soviet Navy has undertaken to clear the rest of the obstruction.

We very much welcome the Secretary of State's announcement of the increased finance to be made available. It is excellent that Her Majesty's Government are responding in this way. I hope that, as the right hon. Gentleman says, this will encourage other countries to make increased contributions.

Having said that, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman two questions? First, what reports has he had from Sir Robert Jackson, who has recently been put in charge of the United Nations operations, about how far help is needed with sea trucks and water transport in general, and how far does he envisage that the British Government will be able to help with this most pressing need for the distribution of food?

Second, what reports has the right hon. Gentleman had about possible difficulties of supplies of local currency? Very often in these situations there is enough food but those who need it do not have the currency to buy it. This was a great difficulty in the Nigerian situation. What does the right hon. Gentleman know about this?

I have not had a direct report from Sir Robert Jackson, but I discussed with the Secretary-General what were the priority needs after he had talked with Sir Robert Jackson, and what we were asked to supply at once was sea trucks. We have done so and are continuing to do so. For the rest, we shall concentrate on different aspects of communications.

I should like to look into the currency question. I have not been brought up against this problem in Bangladesh, but it was a factor in Nigeria. I should like to look into it and write to the right hon. Lady.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My point of order follows on the failure of the Secretary of State for Employment to make a statement on the rail situation today. I wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether some arrangement may be made for such a statement to be made.

I realise that this is not a request that one would normally make in the form of a point of order, but in the last hour or two there have been two extraordinary developments which make this a unique situation. One is that successive statements from the railway authorities have indicated that the very great hardship suffered by thousands of commuters this morning is likely to be very much worse tonight. The authorities have said, for instance, that only a very few trains will be running from London stations. This is an emergency situation requiring a statement from the Government.

The second is the statement in the mid-day edition of the Evening Standard saying that the ultimatum issued by Mr. David Binnie to the Southern Region staff had the full approval of the Cabinet.

If this is so, it seems to us that the Secretary of State is now sabotaging the cooling-off period for which he himself applied a few days ago.

In this situation, ought the right hon. Gentleman not to make a further statement to the House now, or at any rate within the next few hours?

May I respond to that point of order in a helpful way?

I have been in touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. He does not think that it is wise to make a statement at this juncture. [Hon. Members: "Why not?"] It is a matter for Ministers, and always is in these circumstances. However, he is anxious to make a statement to the House at the earliest moment which he considers advisable when he has some definite news to give to the House, and I will keep in touch with him and convey the feeling of hon. Members.

There is absolutely no foundation whatever for the report in the Evening Standard that the right hon. Gentleman mentioned; it is not true.

:On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Why was the right hon. Member for East Ham, North (Mr. Prentice) allowed under the guise of a point of order to make the statement he made? It was clear from the opening words that it was not a point of order. If he wished to raise that matter, he should have asked for permission to put a Private Notice Question. That would have been the proper parliamentary way to put this important matter to the Minister concerned.

:Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I made the case to you and the House that there were urgent developments in the last hour or two which meant that the normal procedure was not available. I hope that there will be an early statement. The House is entitled to know whether the expected statement will be made today or tomorrow. In any event, I shall certainly submit a Private Notice Question for tomorrow.