asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities have been provided for Government-assisted visits to European Economic Community countries for trade union officials.

Trade union officials have taken part in visits and conferences organised by non-governmental bodies which receive financial support from Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's Government are considering what further financial assistance can be given in this field.

While welcoming that reply may I ask my hon. Friend to do more to get more trade unionists to visit the EEC countries, particularly countries such as Germany, where the standard of living has been rising so much faster than ours and where industrial relations are so much better? Is there not a great deal to be learned by sending our trade unionists over there, to a country where the law is obeyed and where genuine productivity bargaining helps the country as a whole?

The law was obeyed under Hitler too.

I would not like to make any comments on my hon. Friend's last remarks. Many visits and exchanges take place, financed by the trade unions. Over the years many trade unions have had close contacts with the European trade union movement. We have received no requests for assistance from trade unions but would be prepared to consider sympathetically any proposals they might put to us for assistance in this field.

Would it not help if members of British management were also invited to go to Germany to see how industrial relations operate there?

Many members of British management visit Europe, including Germany, regularly and many more will be going in future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Europe Movement concerning its future rôle and activities following Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

No formal discussions have taken place although the European Movement, along with other private organisations which receive aid from Her Majesty's Government, keeps the Foreign and Commonwealth Office informed about its future plans.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that that answer is rather vague in view of the tremendous propaganda efforts of both political parties assisted by the European Movement prior to our decision on entry? Is it not time that concrete proposals were made about this movement so that we would know precisely where it stood during the Common Market discussions and what finances were available to it?

It is not for me to comment on the plans of a private organisation. The European Movement has played a valuable part in the past in promoting contacts between British people and other Europeans and will, I am sure, continue to do so. The British Council for the European Movement has as its patrons my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the right hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Thorpe). The Director is Mr. Ernest Wistrich.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether plans for the European Economic Community summit meeting to be held in October have now been finalised; and what recent official communications he has had with the French Government on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the latest state of preparations for the summit meeting of European Economic Community and applicant countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what items have now been placed on the agenda for the Common Market summit meeting by Her Majesty's Government

On 19th July I attended in Brussels a further meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Community and acceding States devoted to preparation for the European summit conference. The meeting made significant progress in finding common ground. With regard to the agenda, there is general agreement that economic and monetary union will be a priority item, including industrial and regional policy. These are meetings of Ministers of the ten Governments concerned and summit preparations are a matter for multilateral agreement.

In view of the fact that this meeting is likely to take place while the House is in recess, may I ask the right hon. and learned Gentlemen to give an undertaking that the House will have the opportunity of debating this matter so that it can give guidance to the Government about what it would like on the agenda? Is the Minister aware that we on this side would very much like to be assured that the Socialist principles embodied in the Tory Government's Industry Bill will not be jeopardised by the French, the Germans or anyone else in the EEC? Will he give an undertaking that the Government will not allow themselves to be compelled by the French to return to fixed parities—it is obvious that there is some pressurising—if the Government feel that they ought not to do so?

Debates are not a matter for me. Subjects have been raised in the House from time to time. I can assure that hon. Gentleman that there is no difficulty, and I think this is understood now by the House as a whole, about our present regional policies. We want to see them taken a stage forward in a wider European context. As to monetary policy, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made perfectly clear that it is our intention to return to fixed but adjustable parities as soon as possible.

Is it not clear that one of the subjects to which the enlarged Community will have to give most careful attention in the early stages is the relationship between the Community on the one hand and the United States and Japan on the other hand? Is my right hon. and learned friend satisfied that the Government are giving adequate thought to that subject in preparation for the summit meeting?

In the original preparations for the summit we broke down a potential agenda under three headings, one of which was the external relationships and responsibilities of the Community. The external relationships of the Community must comprehend the matter to which my hon. Friend has referred.

Surely the whole philosophy behind the European Communities Bill is that we should debate these matters and give guidance to delegates going to meetings of this sort. Will my right hon. and learned Friend reconsider that matter? Secondly, if the Government do not get concrete and satisfactory undertakings about industrial and regional policy, will they take a robust line at the summit meeting and say that we shall not go in until this and other important matters are properly settled?

I do not think my hon. Friend has ever understood the nature of the Community we are joining. We are not joining a machine; we are joining a living organism in which we shall participate. None of the problems which my hon. Friend sometimes suggests arise in relation to our regional policy, but we shall be making our contribution. On the question of debates, we have made several proposals about the way in which the House might deal with matters in future and I hope that, with the Opposition's co-operation, we shall make some progress shortly.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the conference between the non-applicant EFTA countries and the enlarged EEC is to take place at the wrong time? It should have preceded any of our negotiations with the EEC if we had any hope of achieving the type of Europe we wanted because, tied as we are by the European Communities Bill and the Community regulations, the prospects of success for the Sixteen are much dimmer than they would otherwise have been.

The hon. Gentleman is suffering, like others of us, from a lack of newspapers. There is another Question on the Order Paper about the position of the non-applicant EFTA countries. But all these matters were concluded by the agreements reached on Saturday.

As three of the countries which are joining are not members of WEU, will the question of defence, and particularly the co-ordination of defence, be discussed?

That is a matter which comes within the purview of the Heads of Government. It does not come within the purview of the EEC treaties as such.

We know that no agreement has been reached to have a summit meeting, let alone agreement concerning the agenda. I should like the right hon. and learned Gentleman to make clear that he has no intention of being browbeaten by the threat of not having a summit meeting into making premature and disadvantageous agreements before the summit takes place in the hope that it will take place. That is a real threat. Secondly, may I reinforce the plea of my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) that the range of matters to be discussed at the summit are the kind of matters on which the House should be consulted and given the chance of expressing its views before agreements are reached in Brussels?

There is nothing unusual about a meeting of Heads of Government to discuss a wide range of matters. This is a meeting of Heads of Government in a particular context. I can give the right hon. Gentleman the assurance he requires that there is no question of our being browbeaten or entering into unreasonable agreements in advance of the summit.

"No one suggested today that there should be any going back on the April decision to hold the Conference in October."

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the future relationship with the European Economic Community of those European Free Trade Association countries which will not be joining the Community on 1st January, 1973.

Special relation agreements between the Communities and the European Free Trade Association non-candidates were signed in Brussels on Saturday, 22nd July. I would ask the House to await the statement which I would propose, with permission and for the convenience of the House, to make tomorrow.

Has the Chancellor noticed that the non-candidate EFTA countries have obtained all the benefits of an industrial free trade area without any of the crippling burdens of the common agricultural policy?

They have certainly obtained some of the benefits but not all of the benefits which come from full membership. We have often debated this matter in the House and we have said that it would not be suitable for us to be other than full members of the Community. As the right hon. Gentleman may have noticed, the Swedish Foreign Minister, in Brussels on Saturday, made the point that for all of them the way was still open for further and deeper association with the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement of Government policy on the relationship between Great Britain and the European Economic Community in the light of recent developments.

Her Majesty's Government are firmly committed to full membership of the European Communities and continue to work to this end along the lines set out in the statement by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17th June last year.—[Vol. 819, c. 643–5.]

Can my right hon. and learned Friend say whether any progress has been made towards agreement on the siting of European institutions? Would it not be reasonable if an agreement could be reached along the lines that the political secretariat should be in Brussels and the European Parliament should be sited either in Paris or in London as its permanent home?

The siting of all these institutions is a matter for agreement between the parties.

Has the right hon. and learned Gentleman considered the question of association in the context of association of all the African States instead of simply the former French and British colonies?

All the developing independent members of the Commonwealth have been offered the choice of association or a trade agreement. I think that is something which will be discussed further in the months and even years ahead. The dependent countries have the offer of Part IV association.

As my right hon. and learned Friend implied earlier that I did not understand the European Communities Bill, can he explain how he gives the same impression to the House when he is answering questions?

Answer.

Let us have an answer.

Order. If hon. Members wish to ask supplementary questions, they must rise to their feet.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman correct the statement he has just made? As far as I am aware, India, Pakistan and the countries of Asia are developing countries but association has not been offered to them.

I apologise. The right hon. Lady is perfectly right. There is the offer to the Asian Commonwealth of the extension of trade, and discussions will take place on that.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he is considering for the October summit conference of European leaders concerning trading relations with the less-developed countries of the southern world.

As I have told the House, the summit conference will concern itself with the Community's external relations and responsibilities. The issue raised by the hon. Gentleman will no doubt arise under this heading of the agenda.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that increasing aid programmes and lowering tariffs are of little use if the countries of the Ten permit the terms of trade of the developing countries to deteriorate seriously? Would he say why the British Government have blocked the very sensible suggestion for linking trade with international monetary reform by awarding the developing countries special drawing rights as required for trade development?

I have great sympathy with what the hon. Member has said. As for linking development aid with special drawing rights—it is one of the matters which came up at Santiago—that sort of issue is quite likely to come within the ambit of consideration at the summit of the Heads of Governments. I assure the hon. Member that certainly these matters are very much in the minds of our partners in the Community as well as our own.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman should not be quite so bland on this subject. It is a matter of deep concern to this side, as it is indeed to the developing countries. Whatever one's views about the desirability or otherwise of Britain's accession to the EEC, one of the things which a number of people would expect the Government to push hard at the summit is precisely the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher), and I would have thought that the right hon. and learned Gentleman would have had something more definite and firmer to say in this respect.

I certainly have no wish to be bland about it. It is a matter of deep concern which has been expressed throughout the debates which we have had on the European Communities Bill and other occasions, and I have emphasised our very great concern that the enlargement of the Community should lead to an increase of effective aid to developing countries. I am sure that ought to have high priority.

Will not the Chancellor of the Duchy give us a firmer assurance on this subject? Trade between the under-developed world and the EEC is extremely important. We hope that the subject will not simply be allowed to arise but that he will see that it is definitely discussed at the summit.

The Foreign Ministers at their meeting in Brussels have been determining the heads of the agenda. We have pressed that one of the items should be the external relations and responsibilities of the Community. Clearly the whole question of development aid is inherent in the concept of external responsibilities. What I cannot do is to say what the Heads of Government will say in their communiqué.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to make regular statements to the House following each meeting of the European Economic Community Council of Ministers that he attends.

After entry there will be frequent meetings with the Communities at ministerial level. Not every meeting will warrant a statement; but Ministers will keep the House fully informed of developments in the Communities.

Does the Secretary of State appreciate that his reply is very unsatisfactory to those of us who want to see parliamentary control extended over his activities in Brussels and those of his right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster? Surely the House is now entitled as of right to regular and detailed statements on all the official meetings attended by the Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor of the Duchy in Brussels and Strasbourg.

My interest is to see that the House shall be informed, but it does not necessarily follow from that that every meeting has to be reported upon. The Government have suggested the setting up of a special ad hoc committee to consider how best the House should be informed on these matters. I hope that the suggestion will be accepted because there is a need for the House to be properly informed. I think this is a way in which it could be considered.

Would my right hon. Friend agree that it will be more important for the House to have a debate before he goes to meetings of the Council of Ministers so that we can discuss the subjects which are to be raised and, if necessary, give guidance to my right hon. Friend?

It is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House to consider how often debates shall take place. I have no doubt that there will be many debates before I go to meetings of Foreign Ministers in Europe. I think that various parts of the House should meet together to seek to discover the most practicable arrangements to be made for keeping hon. Members informed.

Will the Foreign Secretary confirm that his statement applies to all Ministers and not simply to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster? Will he consider the suggestion that every Minister should make a report in writing and in public after meetings of the Council of Ministers?

The statement applies to all Ministers, not only to my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy. Instead of making pledges in advance that reports will be made on every meeting—because at some meetings, to my own knowledge, there is nothing worth reporting—I think it would be worth considering which meetings should be reported to the House and what information should be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose the setting up of a political secretariat for the European Economic Community when he next meets the Foreign Ministers of the six European Economic Community countries.

We believe that a modest secretariat to service meetings of Foreign Ministers could be useful. We would be ready to discuss this at the appropriate time with our partners in the enlarged Community.

I am grateful for that reply. Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that this matter should be settled and agreed by the Foreign Ministers before the summit meeting at which the final cachet will be given?

The purpose of the Foreign Ministers' meeting is to prepare the agenda, not to determine the results. It is not necessary that this matter should be dealt with at the summit itself. It could be decided by agreement at any time.

Is it not undesirable to establish a secretariat which would diminish the authority of the Commission and, if the emphasis is to be on the development of political control of decisions in the European Community, should we not seek to strengthen the powers of the European Parliament?

Certainly it should not cut across the powers of the Commission or our ideas for strengthening the European Parliament. There is an area of responsibility for Foreign Ministers which goes beyond the scope of the treaties themselves. This is why we feel it necessary to have some liaison.

May I remind my right hon. and learned Friend that quite apart from the setting up of a secretariat and any question of strengthening the European Parliament, everybody in the House is concerned that we should strengthen this Parliament and our acquaintance with the various problems as we go into the Common Market? Will he give urgent consideration to appointing a Select Committee or Committees to con- sider this and all other questions arising from our position in the Community?

I sympathise with what my hon. Friend has said. These matters are being pursued through what are called the usual channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his official visit to Afghanistan.

My visit to Afghanistan from 5th to 6th July was both interesting and valuable. I had an audience with His Majesty King Zahir Shah and had talks with the Prime Minister, Dr. Zahir, and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Shafiq. Our talks included the situation in the subcontinent and the economy of Afghanistan.

Will my right hon. Friend see whether there are any projects which his right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development might investigate and possibly co-ordinate with similar projects in Iran and Pakistan?

Yes, Sir. We have done quite a lot in the way of economic assistance and development aid for Afghanistan. We have agreed to provide a loan of up to £240,000 for new animal feed plant and £100,000 worth of water pumps and well-drilling equipment which will be delivered shortly. We propose to undertake a £100,000 hydro-geological survey of the Hari Rud basin. There are a number of projects for which aid can properly be used and they are going along adequately.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has now had with Commonwealth Governments concerning the environmental consequences of the recent French nuclear explosions in the Pacific; and whether he will make a statement.

The subject of French nuclear testing naturally came up in my recent discussions with Australian and New Zealand Ministers. As to the environmental consequences of the tests, data collected by our health monitoring team on Pitcairn Island are available to any Commonwealth Government which asks for them. The reports of this team to date show no increase in radioactivity over the normal background level.

In the light, however, of the Stockholm conference and all the accumulated long-term medical and scientific evidence produced since 1945, does the right hon. Gentleman agree that, on reflection, his remarks were singularly ill-informed and ill-timed? Can he assure the House that his failure to make forceful representations to the French Government is not just another example of the refusal of the British Government to do anything to upset Mr. Pompidou at this juncture?

I follow exactly the same practice as that followed by the Opposition when they were in Government. We have made no protest. We have made it clear that we felt there should not be testing in the atmosphere.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about Gibraltar.

asked the Secretary of Stats for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the dates of his planned official talks with the Spanish Foreign Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his recent official discussions with Senor Lopez Bravo, the Spanish Foreign Secretary, on the question of Spain's blockade of Gibraltar; and to what extent he granted concessions to Spain to use Gibraltar's airfield.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make a statement about his official discussions with the Spanish Foreign Secretary.

As the House knows, the Spanish Foreign Minister paid an official visit to Britain from 19th to 22nd July. We had useful discussions on a range of matters of mutual interest including the question of Gibraltar. The talks were, of course, confidential. I will, with permission, circulate the communiqué in the Official Report.

While I am sure we welcome the talks with Señor Bravo, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he can assure the House that Her Majesty's loyal subjects in Gibraltar with their fervent desire, overwhelmingly expressed in a referendum, to remain British under British sovereignty will be upheld?

Yes, I made clear from the start of talks with Señor Bravo, in Madrid and subsequently here, that we could not agree to arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. That is the Preamble to the Act of Parliament, so we have to observe it.

Is the Foreign Secretary aware that just as he failed in his attempt to sell out the people of Rhodesia to the Fascist Smith, so he will fail in any attempt to sell out the people of Gibraltar to the Fascist Franco? Will he tell the posturing Señor Bravo to lift the blockade on Gibraltar and allow British subjects there to live as British subjects in peace?

I do not accept any of the first propositions put by the hon. Member. They are very typical of him and I do not intend to reply to them. What I would say is that I said to Señor Bravo that if the restrictions on Gibraltar could be lifted, a totally different atmosphere would be created.

Without revealing any of the confidences which have been entered into, can the right hon. Gentleman confirm or deny that there have been discussions on the granting of facilities or privileges to the Spanish Government concerning Gibraltar airport? Was that discussed?

I think it was mentioned, but it was not mentioned for any length of time.

Can my right hon. Friend assure the House that there will be no unilateral change in the present constitutional position which exists between this country and Gibraltar?

I have said already to the House that there will be no variation of what is written into the Act of Parliament—if that is what my hon. and gallant Friend means. The wishes of the people of Gibraltar would have to take precedence if the constitution in any way were to be changed in the future.

I wonder whether the right hon. Gentleman would like to help us and give the House an assurance that there will be no change in the constitutional status of Gibraltar without the full-hearted consent of the people and representatives of Gibraltar.

I think that is what I have just said, but if the right hon. Gentleman wants me to say it again, I do.

Does the Foreign Secretary think it was a wise decision to enable the people of Gibraltar through a referendum to express their own wishes about their country's future?

Some referenda are good and some bad.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will put in the Library a copy of his speech to the South East Asia Treaty Organisation conference at Canberra.

I did so on 12th July.

As a matter of curiosity, may I ask why the Foreign Secretary inserted into his brief on this occasion a rather snide attack on the Americans for, of all things, helping to run down the British Empire too quickly, and why was this subsequently denied in a great flurry by the Foreign Office?

I do not think it a bad thing to remind the Americans occasionally of what they did.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs whether, in view of the representations made by the Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society concerning the plight of Academician Benjamin Levich, of Moscow, he will now make recommendations on his behalf to the Russian Government.

As Ministers have made clear on many occasions, we have no locus standi to intervene with the Soviet Government in such cases, however distressing they may be.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Academician Benjamin Levich has now been appointed to a fellowship at University College, Oxford, and that he has been refused permission by the Soviet authorities to come to this country? In the circumstances, does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that he would have a locus standi, and if I am able to provide him with particulars of the appointment and of the refusal will he undertake to examine the position with a view to making representations on behalf of this brave and distinguished man?

On the first point, no; I was not aware of that factor until the hon. and learned Member mentioned it. Certainly I would be glad to look into it, if he would like to send me details, to consider whether anything can be done.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by Governments of Arab States concerning the proposed opening in London of an office representing Arab terrorist organisations.

None, Sir, but a number of Governments have been in touch with us about the possibility that the Palestine Liberation Organisation might open an office in London.

Will the right hon. Gentleman specify more clearly what sort of representations have been made by other Governments? Is it not a fact that the Foreign Office has been in touch with representatives of this terrorist organisation and that discussions have taken place? To what extent have they taken place? Does not the pusillanimous attitude of the Government about this whole issue owe more to the politics of oil than to the politics of humanity?

I reject entirely the comments of the hon. Member. There has been nothing pusillanimous about this. We were asked what the law was in this country. We gave the correct answer and I am sure the hon. Member would not have wished us to give an incorrect one.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is a widespread belief in Arab capitals at the present time that the opposition to the opening of this organisation's office in London is being inspired by Israeli pressure. Will he make it absolutely clear that those of us on both sides of the House opposed to this organisation being allowed to open such an office would be equally opposed to terrorist organisations coming from Israel, Ulster or anywhere else and opening offices?

Yes. I do not think this is a question of pressure from organisations. As to the law of this country, I and others have made it abundantly clear that there is nothing to prevent an organisation from opening an office in this country, but there is a great deal against individuals who are connected with terrorist organisations being involved. This is where the visa system has been operated in the past and it has always been effective.

So we may take it that there is no objection to the IRA opening an office in London?

That is not what I said. I was referring to organisations whose activities are not outside the law.

But surely, quite apart from what Arab or other countries feel about it, my right hon. Friend is aware that there is fury in this country that terrorists should be allowed to open an office here.

I must repeat that this organisation as such is not a terrorist organisation. [Hon. Members: "Oh."] There are, no doubt, those who are members of it—certainly of some of the other organisations—who come within those terms, but the PLO as such is not a terrorist organisation. It is part of the Arab League. It has representatives who attend regularly at the United Nations in New York and it is the only political organisation which represents Arab refugees. It is, therefore, not right to refer to it in that way. I have indicated the way in which we can maintain control, and that is the position under British law.

On a point of order. In view of the grotesque and unsatisfactory way in which my Question was answered, I give notice that I shall seek to raise this matter at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest situation in Vietnam and Her Majesty's Government's efforts in helping to secure realistic negotiation for peace.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest situation in Vietnam, in the light of the British Government's responsibilities as co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference.

I have nothing to add to what I told the House in answer to Questions on 12th June and 3rd July.—[Vol. 838, c. 981–6; Vol. 840, c. 25–27.]

I express some disappointment at that reply. Does not my hon. Friend agree that at this particularly delicate stage in the developments in Vietnam it ill behoves anyone, in whatever country, for whatever reason, to undermine the official American position of medium-term disengagement combined with short-term resistance to Communist aggression and thus jeopardise the chances of a realistic settlement later on?

I sympathise with the tone of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. We welcome the decision of President Nixon and the Government of South Vietnam to resume negotiations in Paris. We can only hope that the North Vietnamese will be ready to negotiate seriously and constructively. Formal sessions were held on 13th and 20th July and there have been some secret talks between Dr. Kissinger and Mr. Le Due Tho, a member of the North Vietnamese Politburo, but it is too early to say what progress has been made.

Whilst the negotiations are going on there is ever-intensifying bombing of civilian targets and dykes in North Vietnam. What information has the hon. Gentleman had from representatives in Hanoi and what has he said about it to the United States?

Any reports that we receive from the consulate general in Hanoi are confidential. I have no reason to believe that the Americans have departed from their present policy, which is to attack only military targets and targets related to the North Vietnamese military effort. President Nixon has recently reiterated that policy.

Does not my hon. Friend agree that there is mounting evidence that General Giap and his Soviet advisers made a serious military error in attacking South Vietnam in this way at this time? Will he comment on the Press reports that this could be the last throw of the ageing junta which has held power in Hanoi for over a generation?

I do not think I can comment on that. All I will say is that we regard the proposals recently put forward by President Nixon as positive and constructive, and we hope that the North Vietnamese will show their desire for peace by making a suitable response.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the situation in Vietnam has been delicate for at least seven or eight years? Is he further aware that the policy of silence pursued by successive British Governments in the hope of inducing a better negotiating position for the United States and North Vietnam has proved to be extraordinarily unsuccessful over the last seven or eight years? Is he further aware that his communications from Her Majesty's Consulate General in Hanoi are confidential because he wishes to make them confidential and for no other reason? Cannot he be more forthcoming?

I think the hon. and learned Gentleman will agree with me that the situation in Vietnam has been delicate for nearly 25 years, not just for seven or eight years. It is not right for the hon. and learned Gentleman to accuse the Government of doing nothing. We are not making thoughtless and useless public comments. On the contrary, in the present situation we believe that every possible chance of international conciliation should be explored. I am sure that the hon. and learned Gentleman will agree that the present Government, like their predecessor, consider that the Geneva Conference may yet have a rôle to play in restoring peace and stability in Indo-China. It is a forum where all the interested parties, including Laos and Cambodia, are represented.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British assistance to Vietnam.

The Government of Vietnam last year accepted the offer of a loan of £1 million to be spent on British goods and services in connection with projects which are the subject of discussion between our two Governments. We have established an English language teaching centre in Saigon and are considering proposals for a joint technical education project. I expect that about 25 Vietnamese will be trained in Britain this year at our expense.

Now that the Government of South Vietnam are winning not only the battle for the hearts and minds of the people but the military battle against the Communist aggressor, should we not do more for this ravaged country which has been fought over for more than 30 years?

I think that this is a quite considerable contribution. If more projects come to light in the future and they can be fitted into the aid programme, I shall be willing to consider the possibility of continuing our aid to this needy country.

Would not the best way to assist Vietnam be to ask Mr. Nixon to remove his armed forces—not just the Army but the Air Force and the Navy, which are decimating the country and are being greatly increased?

If I were to undertake the full answer that that question deserves. I might get in the way of other business following my reply.

Will my right hon. Friend look again at the possibility of increasing the original £10,000 worth of aid given in April, since the number of refugees for which it was made has increased three or four times?

I shall continually look at the possibility of further relief. But the voluntary societies are themselves adding to that £10,000, and I understand that to a large extent the relief needs are being met.

Would it not be better to spend that money on medical aid to North Vietnam rather than to propping up the despotic military régime in the South?

I think it would be better if the war were ended and the régime in the North took the same view.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with the plans for economic viability in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony.

Progress under the Development Plan, first drawn up in 1970 and revised annually thereafter, is satisfactory. The most promising economic projects are fisheries development, the Merchant Marine Training School and family planning. Expanded copra production is also receiving encouragement, but present world prices are a deterrent. I hope to visit the colony during the Recess.

Has any progress been made with agricultural co-operation schemes, particularly in view of the difficulty of the system of land tenure in which consideration is given to small areas on which only one tree is growing.

That is one of the most difficult problems with copra and other agricultural production. It has been necessary to lower the tax on copra exports and consider increasing the subsidy. If we can get this going in the way my hon. Friend advises, it will be advantageous to the economy.

What degree of priority is attached in terms of aid and trade to Britain's colonies as distinct from Commonwealth countries?

I cannot reply to the general question but it is encouraging that in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, because of greater expertise and progress in the colony, it has been possible for it to absorb three times as much aid this year as it did before, and this is a good augury for the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take the initiative at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation meeting this autumn to prepare for the East-West security conference, for multilateral force reduction, with a view to securing a 25 per cent. saving in military expenditure by all countries involved.

The conference on security and co-operation in Europe and mutual and balanced force reductions are separate though related issues. We in NATO are still awaiting a response from the Warsaw Pact countries to our invitation to discuss force reductions. I see no cause for a fresh initiative now.

Will the Foreign Secretary show a little more enthusiasm? Would it not be a real prize if we could achieve this saving in our country's resources without loss of security and with a gain to security from the further development of detente?

Yes, Sir. I think that a mutual and balanced force reduction conference will take place parallel with a wider security conference, and there we shall seek to achieve a reduction in armaments. At the moment I do not think there is any fresh initiative that can be taken to prepare for mutual and balanced force reductions. The former Secretary-General of NATO offered to go and talk this matter over with the Russians, but they have not responded. If the Russians wish to make another suggestion we are wide open to it.

Will my right hon. Friend continue to reject the naïve and simplistic arguments that do not include recognition of the important piece of arithmetic that the Warsaw Pact forces heavily outnumber the NATO forces, often by as much as three to one?

Yes, and of course the comparative proximity of Russia to the area and its distance from the United States will make it extremely difficult at best to get an agreement, but it is worth while to search for one.

Does the Foreign Secretary reject the suggestion that the percentage argument is not naïve and simplistic? As he well knows, it appeals to the Soviet Union and her allies as a basic method of approaching questions of disarmament. He will not, I am sure, close his mind to a proposal of this nature if and when it is made.

No, Sir, but it is for the Russians now to show how they wish to approach the mutual balanced force reduction talks. They have rejected NATOs suggestion, which was a sensible one, and I hope they will come forward with a fresh suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on progress for the construction of the permanent airstrip in the Falkland Islands; when he proposes to start and complete construction; and how much it will cost.

The Governor has applied for a grant of £1615 million for the construction of the permanent airfield. This is being considered and I hope that an early decision will be reached. If the application is approved construction could, barring unforseen difficulties, be started by August, 1973, and completed about May, 1975.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, but is he aware that the islanders at present have totally inadequate and temporary passenger links with the outside world and urgently wish for better communications? Will he therefore ensure that this permanent airstrip is constructed as urgently as possible?

Yes. I think this is the best we can do. It is a big job which will have to be put out to tender properly. Construction difficulties are considerable, but we nevertheless appreciate the importance of this.

Will the Minister say what degree of interest the Argentine Government are showing in this project?

The Argentine Government are co-operating in the provision of a temporary airstrip. I am sure they see that this is for the good of the islanders, and it will give them satisfaction as well as ourselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens of East African origin are known to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to be temporarily resident in other countries while awaiting entry permits to the United Kingdom; and whether he will list the countries involved and the number of applications for permits received in each.

Fifty-six United Kingdom passport holders of Asian origin who sought to reach the United Kingdom from India without waiting for the issue of special vouchers are known to be at Turin and 21 are at Boulogne. Most of them are believed to have had connections with East Africa. In addition, two persons from East Africa who have attempted to jump the queue for special vouchers are known to be in Spain.

Will the hon. Gentleman confirm that this country, and only this country, has the right to offer them a place of residence? Will he confirm that in whatever country they are situated they may still apply for entry permits? May I ask what happened to the six people who were sent back to India last week and who were then returned by the Indian authorities to this country? Apart from the distress caused to those individuals, will the hon. Gentleman say who paid the bill for this exercise?

The Government have recognised the special position of United Kingdom passport holders of East African origin. That is why special arrangements have been made. Our duty is not only to ensure that they receive all the help we can give them but also to make sure that this country is not overwhelmed by a sudden influx of up to 250,000 people who may have the right. This is the purpose of the degree of control which we have thought necessary to introduce.

Does not the hon. Gentleman think it monstrous that 75 citizens who hold British passports should be bullied and thrown about from country to country? Is it not about time that we showed a spirit of British compassion and allowed these British passport holders into this country?

We have been able to make arrangements which are for the general good both of this country and of others. These provide for an orderly introduction of these passport holders into this country. If people wish to try to jump the queue, this is not in the general interest and they should not be allowed to do it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to secure the release of Mr. Mirza Yusuf Hussain, a British subject, presently held in custody by the Indian authorities.

Since March, 1972, the High Commission in Delhi has made 16 written and oral representations to the Government of India about Mr. Hussain and on 17th July it received confirmation that he is in custody and in good health. The Indian Government are in touch with the Government of Bangladesh about Mr. Hussain's release and the High Commissions in Delhi and Dacca will do all they can to achieve this.

In view of the agony of mind of this man's wife, who is a doctor in Britain, will my hon. Friend seek to speed up the efforts he is making for Mr. Hussain's release? Is he aware that Mrs. Hussain has been working since last August for the release of her British civilian and totally innocent husband who has been accused of no crime whatever? Is it not monstrous that a British subject should be kept under duress for so long?

The difficulty was that while Mr. Hussain was in Pakistan he held dual nationality and we did not have a right to intervene until March of this year. Since then we have made a large number of oral and written representations. It is now the position that the Indian Government have said that as he is a joint prisoner of both the Bangladesh and Indian Governments, the Bangladesh Government have to agree before he can be released.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what studies have been undertaken by the Overseas Development Administration into the relevance of Chinese development experience for development policy in bilateral and mulilateral programmes; and whether he will make a statement.

No comprehensive studies have been undertaken, but information on the development techniques of China and of other countries which is relevant to our own programmes is carefully examined by my Department.

Will the right hon. Gentleman agree that the experience of China, particularly in agriculture and rural development in terms of intermediate technologies, is highly relevant to the needs of the developing world? In view of the better diplomatic relations which exist between Britain and China, will he give an undertaking that his Department will make a study in depth of progress in China?

We are undertaking researches into this very important subject. If any of the Chinese experience is relevant to this research, and it may well be that this is the case, those who are carrying out the research will take it into account.

Following the successful visit of the Under-Secretary of State to China, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of sending a team of officials to China to look specifically at the development question?

I shall certainly consider any suggestion of that kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about recent discussions on British aid to Indonesia, held in Jakarta.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dame Joan Vickers) a report on his recent visit, in answer to her Question on 18th July.—[Vol. 841, c. 95–6.]

How does the Foreign and Commonweath Office see the future of British-Indonesian trade relations over the next year or two?

There appeared to both my right hon. Friend and me on my earlier visit to be a very considerable possibility of increased trade. As a reflection of this, the very considerably increased aid now flowing from this country to Indonesia should increase the flow of trade in future years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to avoid a repetition of the in correct charging to the Overseas Aid Programme of £424,000 of expenditure on the Department of the Environment Votes, Class VI, 5, A, for 1972–73.

None. The mistake has already been corrected by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

How did it happen that the right hon. Gentleman's Department allowed nearly £½ million of expenditure to be improperly booked to the Minister's own aid programme? Surely this is not just a matter for the Department of the Environment but one for his own defences.

The hon. Gentleman is making heavy weather of this, and he knows the answer to that question since it was contained in my right hon. Friend's original answer. The hon. Gentleman knows that there were certain items included in the £545,000 which could not be charged to the aid programme and the reasons for it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the United Kingdom's contribution to the first three-year phase of the development programme of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

The British contribution during this period will be just over £1 million.

How does that compare with the contributions from other countries? What success has the board of trustees had in soliciting further aid from British industry or from charitable institutions?

I shall have to make further inquiries about the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question. Dealing with the first part of it, we are roughly on an equal footing with Canada. The AIT hopes that Japan and the United States will play a greater part than that. But we are playing what might be described as an intermediate part between the United States and Japan on the one side and the smaller donors on the other.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries are now members of the Colombo Plan; and if any extension of memberships is planned.

The answers are 24, and none at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received the report of the committee, under the chairmanship of Sir Matthew Stevenson, which has been inquiring into the status and functions of the Crown Agents; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has now received the Stevenson Report on the Crown Agents; and if he will reconsider his decision on its publication, in view of the public importance of the relationship between Her Majesty's Government and the Crown Agents.

I have received the committee's advice and with permission I will circulate a statement in the Official Report. Briefly, the committee found that the interests of the Crown Agents' principals and others concerned would best be served by the continuation of the whole range of services which the Crown Agents provide. I welcome these findings, which reinforce my confidence in the Crown Agents' work for their overseas principals. I also accept the committee's recommendations that there should be a clearly defined status, structure and responsibility for the Crown Agents and that they should bear appropriate liability to taxation. I am considering how these conclusions can best be given effect and I will later make a further statement. I would like to record my gratitude to the committee for its advice. Since most of the Crown Agents' work is for independent Governments, it would not be right to publish the report.

Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the changes he has in mindare in the best interests of the overseas principals? Secondly, bearing in mind the very long and valuable service that the Crown Agents have given their Commonwealth principals over very many years, will my right hon. Friend confirm the impression that a good many of us have had for a long time that the Crown Agents are continuing to serve their principals with skill and integrity?

I have every confidence in the integrity of the Crown Agents, and I agree with my hon. Friend about the value of the work they do for their overseas principals. In my opinion the value of that work will be enhanced by changes of the kind I have it in mind to make.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that when I spoke to him on the telephone last week and he told me that his reply might be too long to give orally, I had no idea that in addition to refusing to publish the report he would issue a statement of the results of the report only in a Written Answer? This is quite disgraceful and it astonishes me. May I put this point to the right hon. Gentleman? Is he aware that in the light of recent discoveries about relationships between civil servants and Governments and between Ministers and Governments following the Poulson investigations, it is irresponsible and inconceivable that a full report should not be published, though not necessarily containing the evidence given by other countries? One can understand that that would not be possible. But is it not irresponsible on behalf of the Government not to publish the findings of this report since they relate to the relationship between employees of the Government and the Government itself?

Perhaps I might begin by setting the right hon. Lady's fears at rest about the longer statement that I mean to issue. I assure her that it will contain no surprises. I have summarised it adequately in my shorter answer. As for what she terms the irresponsibility of not publishing the report, I think it would be utterly irresponsible to publish a report which I undertook at the time that I set up the committee would not be published, for reasons that the right hon. Lady knows. What is more, knowing what the right hon. Lady does about the relationship between the Crown Agents and their principals, I am certain that if she were standing at this Dispatch Box she would take the same view.

As one who initiated this report towards the end of the period of the Labour Government, I must tell the right hon. Gentleman that I should not take the view he is now taking. I accept that evidence given by other countries should remain confidential but I do not see why that should preclude publication of the conclusions of Sir Matthew Stevenson and his colleagues, and I do not see why the House and the public should be kept in the dark about the reasons why they have come to the conclusions they have.

When the committee was set up, with the concurrence of my right hon. Friend, so that the whole relationship between Her Majesty's Government and the Crown Agents could be examined—which, incidentally, impinges on the Crown Agents' relationship with the principals—I undertook that the report would not be published. It is on that basis that the inquiry has taken place. Therefore it would be utterly irresponsible if the report were now to be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement over the position and future of British farmers in Tanzania and their threatened expulsion.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 3rd July.—[Vol. 840, c. 1.] Although President Nyerere has stated that large-scale private farming is eventually to be phased out, there is no reason to think that British farmers will be obliged to leave in the near future.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in The Times on 30th June President Nyerere was quoted as saying "There is no future for Europeans in socialist Tanzania. In the long run this is no country for you"?

We have received no concrete proposals in this regard. Land transfer in Tanzania is not a matter of fundamental economic importance to that country. Since what we do in this case is likely to have considerable repercussions on what we might have to do in other cases, we must study it extremely carefully.