§ Q5. Mr. Ogdenasked the Prime Minister if he will invite the Shah of Iran to make an official visit to Great Britain.
§ Q9. Mr. Roebuckasked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to the Shahinshah of Iran.
§ The Prime MinisterWe are always happy to welcome His Imperial Majesty in this country, and we greatly value opportunities to exchange views with him. However, the very full programme of visits for this year would make difficult an invitation to the Shah, or a journey to Iran by myself, in the immediate future.
§ Mr. OgdenWould not such a visit enable His Imperial Majesty to visit those parts of the Kingdom which he has not already visited and where he would be most welcome? Would it not also enable our two Governments to dispel any lingering doubts in the minds of those who think that the peace and prosperity of the Middle East depends on British Forces remaining in that area?
§ The Prime MinisterAs I have said, we shall be extremely glad to welcome His Imperial Majesty to this country at a time which will be convenient to him, when he will be able to visit other parts of the country apart from London.
Concerning international policies in respect of the Persian Gulf, all I know is from reports that I have seen of the Shah's statement on the matter.
§ Mr. RoebuckIs my right hon. Friend aware that the credibility of the Leader of the Opposition is at stake in this matter? Is he aware that the Leader of the Opposition recently returned from a disgraceful party political rampage round the Gulf with a tale that the Iranians would welcome the retention of British troops in the area and that the Shah has made a statement to the contrary and given the Leader of the Opposition the brush-off? Would it not be a good idea to have an official meeting followed by a joint communiqué to set out the facts?
§ The Prime MinisterI was not aware that the right hon. Gentleman had any 237 credibility. I certainly acquit him of the charge that he was engaged on a party political tour of that area, because even he will have discovered by this time that there are no votes in that area. All I know of what the Shah said to the right hon. Gentleman was in an interview ascribed to the Shah—naturally we cannot check how accurately he was reported—in which he said:
I told him (Mr. Heath) that nobody will want British troops back in the Persian Gulf.
§ Mr. HeathIf the Prime Minister could turn his mind for a moment from the question of trying to win votes for his party to the more important question of maintaining British interests, may I ask him whether he agrees that it is the responsibility of the British Government and the British Parliament to protect and maintain British interests, and that His Imperial Majesty the Shah would not wish to dictate our policy to us any more than we would wish to dictate his to him?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir, as long as the right hon. Gentleman is not responsible for letters to the Sunday Times suggesting that this is not what His Imperial Majesty said, because we know what he said from the interview, and I do not think that he has denied responsibility for the interview. I agree with the general dictum of the right hon. Gentleman about its being the duty of the Government of this country to protect British interests, but we do not believe that it will be done by maintaining troops where they are not wanted.
§ Mr. HeathWhy did the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence and the Foreign Secretary believe that until the precise moment when they had to do a sordid party deal to reimpose prescription charges?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman seems to have moved a long way from his last Question about British interests and not making party politics.
§ The Prime MinisterWe made it clear long before any decision was taken about prescription charges that there would be an evacuation from areas where British troops are at present, as the right hon. Gentleman will recognise if he studies 238 the defence White Paper of six months earlier.
§ Mr. WaltersIf the Prime Minister has any talks with either the Shah or the Iranian Government, will he make it clear that it would be a great mistake for Iran to presume that British influence will be diminished in the Gulf whatever specific policy is adopted in 1970?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that it is certainly right to say, if I have understood the hon. Gentleman aright, that British influence will continue to be maintained in the Gulf and that it is certainly not dependent on the maintenance of troops. One thing which has heartened many of us, although there is a long way to go here, is the way in which many of the Trucial Sheiks have begun to work together in matters of defence instead of relying on troops from outside.
§ Mr. HenigHas my right hon. Friend made any detailed calculation of how much it would cost this country if we were to adopt the overseas military policies suggested by the Leader of the Opposition, and can my right hon. Friend say how much increased taxation this would be likely to result in?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that some authoritative estimates were put forward by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence during the last defence debate. Certainly the increased expenditure to which the right hon. Gentleman considers himself committed would make utter nonsense of his pledges to reduce Government expenditure and taxation.
§ Mr. LubbockIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that one of the methods by which our balance of payments could be brought rapidly into balance is by an acceleration of our withdrawal from the Persian Gulf and the Far East, and that this would be a better way of convincing the International Monetary Fund of the strength of our intentions than imposing charges on false teeth and spectacles?
§ The Prime MinisterThe timing of this matter was carefully considered, and I assure the hon. Gentleman that the timing is in the best national interest, and does also provide the most economical use of the resources available for defence. The hon. Gentleman is going a 239 long way from the real facts in the situation if he relates teeth and spectacles to the I.M.F.