Norway: State Visits
Lord Faulkner of Worcester:
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare an interest as Secretary of the British-Norwegian All-Party Parliamentary Group.
My Lords, we look forward to establishing a good working relationship with Prime Minister Stoltenberg and his Government. The new Norwegian foreign, justice and energy Ministers are currently accompanying their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja on their special visit to the United Kingdom. They met the Prime Minister yesterday and had separate meetings with their British counterparts today. Mr Stoltenberg is also in London today for a dinner with European Labour leaders.
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. I am sure that he will join at least us on this side of the House in congratulating Mr Stoltenberg on a remarkable election victory on 12 September. It created the first left-of-centre majority in Norway for 20 years. Is my noble friend aware that, as we celebrate Norway's centenary as an independent state—as he said, we welcome the King and Queen of Norway—in a survey of 177 nations conducted by the United Nations, Norway, for the fifth year running, came top as the most desirable place in the world in which to live because of its ability to combine economic prosperity, a strong welfare state and a clean environment? Did he see in the Guardian the comment that if the Norwegians could bottle and sell their secret to the rest of us, they would be even richer than they are already?
My Lords, I do of course congratulate Prime Minister Stoltenberg on his election victory, as indeed I congratulate Norway on celebrating today—26 October—exactly 100 years as an independent nation. We are delighted to welcome their Majesties on their special visit to the United Kingdom and to cement the close friendship which exists between the two countries. What Norway is bottling and selling to the rest of us is enormous oil and gas reserves. Careful management of those revenues through the petroleum fund enables Norwegians to benefit from a very high standard of living.
Lord Howell of Guildford:
My Lords, like the Minister and the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, we greatly welcome the visit of their Majesties and the centenary of a country that has been very close to us ever since its independence. The Minister has quite rightly referred to the oil and gas resources of Norway. Does he accept that, in the next few years, we will probably be drawing up to one fifth of our total daily gas needs from Norwegian waters? Does he further accept that enormous supplies of both oil and gas—it is said to be up to five North Seas' worth—may in future become accessible at reasonable cost in the high north Barents Sea, which could change the whole geopolitics of oil and reduce our dependence on the Middle East? Does not all this add up to the fact that we need to stay extremely close to this wonderful but small country? That is why we greatly welcome this state visit and our continued friendship with the brave people of Norway.
My Lords, I echo those sentiments. Norway may be small in population terms but it is quite big geographically. It has been a steadfast friend. I have no doubt that trading arrangements, including in energy, will be very important to us all in the future. I do not want to guess at what the energy supply proportions will be because new fields are being discovered in all sectors. It may well be that those proportions will be affected by discoveries. The closeness of the relationship will certainly be sustained; I say that with complete assurance.
My Lords, do the Government intend to give more publicity to the excellent co-operation that the British Armed Forces have with Norwegian and other Nordic armed forces? I have heard people from defence ministries of Nordic countries comment on how constructive a contribution the British have been making, for example, towards the development of a Nordic battle group. I am sorry we do not hear this in London. Would the Government care to think about perhaps a public parade or something similar to celebrate the extent to which British and Nordic Armed Forces now work closely together?
My Lords, we do work closely together. I like to feel that is in a real measure due to our own contribution, but of course it is also due to the far-sightedness of the Norwegian Government. I was intrigued to see that at any one time 1 per cent of the Norwegian police are deployed as peacekeepers in difficult parts of the world. Their military missions, often run together with us and under blue-hatted auspices, are a real contribution to peacekeeping. It is the kind of relationship that is invaluable and I think that both parties contribute to it a great deal.
My Lords, I welcome all the good things that have been said regarding Norway and the Norwegians but does the Minister think if I went to Norway I would be allowed to smoke my pipe there?
My Lords, I have not the smallest idea. Not only that, but I have had a studied indifference to pipe-smoking all my life.
My Lords, declaring an interest both as vice-president of the British-Norwegian Parliamentary Group and as the son of a Norwegian mother, I ask the noble Lord, further to his reply to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, whether he has noted the way in which the Norwegians have introduced the subject of conflict resolution into their education programme. They are developing the skill more and more within their society. Should we not do something similar ourselves?
My Lords, there is scope for conflict resolution in the civic parts of the school agenda. I would like to look at that proposition in more detail with colleagues from the Department for Education and Skills, because plainly a sense of conflict resolution in the modern world must be invaluable.
My Lords, being part-Norwegian and a former chairman of the British-Norwegian Parliamentary Group, I join in the hymn of praise to say that we share many prejudices. Does my noble friend agree that there is a great mutuality of interest, not only in the oil field but as loyal partners in NATO, where the Norwegians contribute much, in Afghanistan, and also in terms of police training in Iraq? We share an enormous interest, which will be furthered by this royal visit.
My Lords, it will be furthered by the royal visit, and by the presence of so many distinguished Ministers from the new Norwegian Government in the United Kingdom. I assure the House we will be working closely with them to achieve exactly the objectives that my noble friend has described.
My Lords, reference has been made to the supply of gas from Norway. Is the Minister aware that some 30 years ago I was active in the coal industry? I was responsible for supplying substantial quantities of coal and coke to Norway. I impatiently await the resumption of that trade.
And there I was, my Lords, imagining that I would not be answering any more energy questions for the time being. I am sure the relationship that was struck up in trading terms by the noble Lord will be fulfilled on the other side by the points that have been made about imports of energy.
© Lords Hansard 26 October 2005