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[Mr. Onslow]
Dependent Territories
15 APRIL 1983
first ever by a British Prime Minister in office, and provided an opportunity to hold talks with Chinese leaders on several world as well as bilateral issues. One of the subjects discussed was Hong Kong. The House has been reminded of the statements that were issued after that meeting between the Prime Minister and Chairman Deng Xiaoping.
The leaders of both countries held far-reaching talks in a friendly atmosphere on the future of Hong Kong. Both leaders made clear their respective positions on that subject. They agreed to enter into talks through diplomatic channels following the visit with a common aim of maintaining the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. Since then, in press conferences and interviews, the Prime Minister has made it clear that those talks would be confidential, that Britain takes its responsibilities for the people of Hong Kong seriously and that the views of the people of Hong Kong will be taken into account. Meetings have begun in Peking to follow up that initiative, and they continue. However, I hope that the House will accept that the contents of those talks must remain confidential.
My hon. Friend the Member for Howden (Sir P. Bryan) was wise in the advice that he gave us today. We should do well to remember the great experience that he brings to us in matters relating to Hong Kong. With regard to the petition from 1,000 police officers that the hon. Member. for Hackney, Central mentioned, I am sure that the Home Secretary or one of his colleagues will comment on it in due course when he has had time to consider it. I regret that I can say nothing about it today.
My hon. Friend the Member for Orpington referred to Brunei. Under the treaty of friendship and co-operation with Brunei, which was entered into by the previous Government on 1 January 1979, Brunei will resume full international responsibility as a sovereign independent state on 31 December this year. The sultanate has enjoyed full internal self-government since 1971. My noble Friend Lord Belstead is at present in Brunei to discuss various aspects of the United Kingdom's defence relationship with that country after it resumes full international responsibil- ity on 31 December. From that date the United Kingdom will relinquish the consultative commitment for the defence of Brunei, which was undertaken in the 1971 agreement.
I hope that that clears that matter up. I should like also to clear up one or two points about Belize, which my hon. Friend mentioned and which my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Dr. Glyn) touched upon. Belize has had internal self-government since 1964 although full independence was delayed by Guatemala's long-standing territorial claim. The People's United Party has won all the general elections since 1964. It has stood from the first on an independent platform. Therefore, in view of the large majority on Belize who are in favour of independence, a constitutional conference was convened to bring the territory to independence. The House approved the arrangements and Belize was granted independence on 21 September 1981, which welcomed by the United Nations.
However, in view of the special circumstances, it was agreed that the British garrison should remain for an appropriate period. It is not an indefinite commitment; it is not a blank cheque; it is not open-ended. I am sure that my hon. Friends will agree that it is right in those
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circumstances that we should provide the additional deterrent against aggression that Belize needs for an appropriate period.
Mr. Clinton Davis: Will the Minister inform the House whether the representations made by the Government to the United States Government about the re- equipping of Guatemalan forces by the United States have continued to be made and what their effect has been?
Mr. Onslow; I assure the hon. Gentleman that the United States Government are well aware of our views on that matter. Whether because of our representations or for other reasons, so far as I am aware little significant American armoury has passed to Guatemala. If the hon. Gentleman wants to know about that, I shall deal with it later.
The hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) referred to the Pitcairn and Henderson Islands. We are well aware of the ecological and conservation issues affecting the Pitcairn Islands and particularly Henderson Island. We have sought advice from conservation groups in this country. It will be taken fully into account in reaching a decision on any application concerning future settlement of the islands in the group that are currently uninhabited. Therefore, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that we are responding to his representations and take them seriously. That is a point of substance.
Mr. Dalyell: Thank you.
Mr. Onslow: It is nice of the hon. Gentleman to thank me, but I am about to repay him in different coin.
I listened to the allegations made by the hon. Member for West Lothian against the Gurkhas. He takes full responsibility for everything he says in the House. I was surprised that someone with his ingenuity, persistence and courage had not found some way of putting a parliamentary question and getting this matter dealt with by the Minister of Defence between the publication of the Argentine paperback and now. If the hon. Gentleman is concerned about these matters his concern should not be to have them smeared across the public print; it should be to bring out the truth in whatever way he best can.
The way that the hon. Gentleman is going about some of these matters--this is a particular case--is putting him in grave danger of becoming a type of political aerosol interested only in spraying gibberish on the pages of Hansard. He should think hard, not merely about what he seeks to do, but how he seeks to do it.
Mr. Dalyell: I think that I am right technically in saying that the Table Office will rule out any questions on what was said in "Los Chicos de la Guerra", because I have tried
Mr. Onslow: I am sorry, but that will not wash. The hon. Gentleman is an experienced parliamentarian. Just because a question in a particular form will be ruled out
my colleagues will agree it does not make it impossible to get it past the Table Office defences. I will not have that, any more than I will have his allegation that all he receives from Government spokesmen is a litany of untruths. If that is his view, he seems to believe only what comes out of Argentina. The Brigade of Gurkhas is a fully- integrated part of the British armed forces. It has always met the high standards of discipline and behaviour
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