U.K. National Archives

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 8 July, 1971 at 11.30 am

Attendees: E Heath; R Maudling; Hailsham; W Whitelaw; K Joseph; R Carr; G Campbell; P Walker; J Prior; A Douglas-Home; A Barber; Carrington; G Rippon; M Thatcher; Jellicoe; P Thomas; J Davies; J Amery; M Macmillan; F Pym.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said that relations between India and Pakistan were continuing to deteriorate. Both sides appeared to be making moves in the Kashmir region which were heightening tension. The flow of refugees from East Pakistan was continuing virtually unabated; and the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Prince Sadruddin, to halt or reverse it had not to far yielded results. The proposal to station United Nations representatives in the main affected areas, which he had mentioned at the Cabinet's last discussion of the subject on 30 June, had not been effectively followed up; and we were now trying, subject to the agreement of the Governments of India and Pakistan, to promote a Four-Power initiative by the United States, the Soviet Union, France and ourselves to give some impetus to the United Nations High Commissioner's efforts. If we succeeded, however, significant additional expenditure would be inevitable.