HC Deb 14 December 1959 vol 615 cc96-7W
61. Mr. Wyatt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why an export licence to Cuba has been refused for the delivery of 15 Hunter K.5 jet aircraft in substitution for 15 obsolete British Sea Furies.

Mr. Profumo

As the House is aware, Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of other Western arms-supplying countries have for some time been restricting arms sales to the Caribbean countries because of the state of tension in that area. In the opinion of Her Majesty's Government these tensions have not yet sufficiently diminished to warrant the change of policy which would be involved in agreeing to the Cuban Government's request. We shall gladly reconsider it when, as we hope, the situation improves.