§ 2.46 p.m.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions have been reached regarding the British and NATO military presence in Malta.]
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, my right honourable friend the 202 Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Malta on September 17 and 18 to discuss the principles of a new defence arrangement governing the future British military presence on the island. As a result of the understanding reached at that meeting, Britain paid f4i million to the Maltese Government on behalf of the NATO Alliance on September 30 and talks between the two Governments have now started at official level with the aim of negotiating the details of a new defence agreement within the next six months.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while expressing appreciation for that reply and recognising the temporary desirability, from the point of view of both Malta and Britain, of the retention of bases, may I ask whether the Minister is able to say that in the long-term purposes of Malta there will be co-operation in neutralising Malta and the whole of the Mediterranean area from both Russian and American fleets, in view of the present hope of some European security arrangement?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I think that I should prefer a British presence in Malta to neutralisation.