asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he has received from Her Majesty's delegate to the Security Council of the United Nations concerning the massing of Katanga gendarmes and European mercenaries in Portuguese territory in Angola, close to the Congolese border.

My right hon. Friend has received from the Permanent United Kingdom Representative to the United Nations a copy of the Secretary-General's report of the 16th of March to the Security Council. This report included an exchange of letters the Secretary-General has had with the Portuguese Representative at the United Nations.

Did the report not contain a statement by the Secretary-General that it he had learnt from very reliable sources that there was a large force of Katangan ex-gendarmerie and European mercenaries close to the Congolese frontier? Will the hon. Gentleman propose to the Secretary-General that the United Nations force should be left in the Congo until these external threats have been removed?

In the Report, the Secretary-General brought to the notice of the Portuguese Government reports of activities in Angola by Congolese ex-gendarmerie and European mercenary officers. These were denied by the Portuguese Government. A copy of the Report, which contains the correspondence, is in the Library of the House.

Is not the presence in Congolese territory of armed bands for further attacks on Angola a much greater threat to world peace than this canard of the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mr. P. Noel-Baker)?

I would hesitate to say that it is a greater threat to word peace, but there is no doubt that there are such activities in the Congo as my hon. Friend the Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) mentioned.

Does not the Secretary-General say that the reports he mentioned came from very reliable sources? Will the hon. Gentleman make representations to the Portuguese Government, as an ally, that they should stop this activity?

This is primarily a matter between the Portuguese and Congolese Governments.