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[LORDS]
Hong Kong: Commission
[Lord Goronwy-Roberts.] everybody who wants to see the depend- encies, as well as the Commonwealth, generally progress along the right lines.
MIDDLE EAST: GENEVA CONFERENCE
2.41 p.m.
Lord BROCKWAY: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will propose to the Security Council of the United Nations that the Geneva Conference should be reconvened to seek a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East.
My
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: Lords, we believe that there may soon be a role for a reconvened Geneva Con- ference. It would need very careful preparation and it is for those directly involved to judge when the time is ripe for it to be reconvened.
Lord BROCKWAY: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. For a change, I have little to ask him by way of supplementary questions. However, may I ask him this question. Although he has indicated that Her Majesty's Gov- ernment are not directly involved, in view of the past history of the Middle East surely we are very much concerned indeed?
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: My Lords, I do not think that my Answer indicated that we are not involved. We are indeed involved with others in the future of the Middle East, and we have played our part very honourably in try- ing to secure a just and lasting peace in this troubled area. As my right honour- able friend has said in another place, and as I have sought to repeat here, we stand ready, to the utmost of our capacity, always to make our contribution to such a solution.
Lord CARRINGTON: My Lords. would not the noble Lord agree that on the face of it it appears that the recon- vening of the Geneva Conference would lead to many difficulties?--not least the likelihood that its success would not be very obvious at the present time unless, as
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on Corruption the noble Lord says, there is very care- ful preparation. Would not the noble Lord and the Government try to encour- age Dr. Kissinger and the American Gov- ernment once again to start their negotia- tions which, I think your Lordships would agree, have more prospect of success?
My
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: Lords, the possibility of a resumption of what one might properly call "the Kissinger technique ", which achieved so much and came so near to final success, is not by any means ruled out by the dis- tinct possibility of an early reconvening of the Geneva Conference. On the first point made by the noble Lord, I entirely agree that such a Conference would indeed be counter-productive, unless it was very carefully prepared beforehand.
Lord GLADWYN: My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether the possible re- convening of the Geneva Conference is in any way dependent upon the acceptance Organisation? of the presence of the Palestine Liberation
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: My Lords, attendance at the Conference would, of course, primarily be a matter for agreement among the principal parties involved.
SOVIET DIPLOMATS: TRAVEL CONTROLS
Lord SUDELEY: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what controls exist over diplomats, and others attached to the Soviet Embassy in Dublin, travelling between Eire and the United Kingdom.
Lord WELLS-PESTELL: My Lords, a foreign national who needs a visa to enter the United Kingdom is not exempt from this requirement if he arrives on a local journey from the Republic of Ire- land. Soviet diplomats accredited to the Republic do not enjoy immunity in this country and accordingly have to have visas if they wish to come here. In this way, the noble Lord and your Lordships may be assured, a proper control is exercised.