BRUSSELS TREATY (Hansard, 24 November 1948)

§ 14. Mr. Warbey
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken in accordance with Article 54 of the United Nations Charter to keep the Security Council fully informed of activities undertaken or in contemplation by the regional arrangement of the Brussels Treaty Powers for the maintenance of international peace and security.

§ Mr. Mayhew
As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, informed my hon. Friend on 15th November, the Brussels Treaty organisation rests, so far as the maintenance of international peace and security is concerned, on Article 51 of the Charter. The point raised in my hon. Friend's Question does not, therefore, arise.

§ Mr. Warbey
Do I take it from my hon. Friend's reply that we do not intend to carry out the clear terms of the Charter as set down in Article 54 in reporting to the Security Council all the arrangements contemplated by the Brussels Treaty Powers in connection with the maintenance of peace and security?

§ Mr. Mayhew
Certainly there is no intention of not fulfilling the Charter, but as I have explained, Article 54 does not apply in this case.

§ Mr. Warbey
How can my hon. Friend say that there is no intention of not fulfilling the Charter when the Charter is quite specific on this point and lays down a definite procedure to be followed in the case of regional arrangements, and the Prime Minister has said this is a regional arrangement?

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member must not make a speech; he may only ask a supplementary question.

§ Mr. Piratin
Is it not the case that Article 51 deals specifically with the case of aggression, and in such case the individual Power or number of Powers may co-operate for protection? How then can the Prime Minister answer that this is different from Article 54, and could the hon. Gentleman say what aggression has taken place?

§ Mr. Mayhew
In reply to that point, Article 51 refers to measures taken by members in the exercise of their inherent right of self-defence which must be immediately reported to the Security Council. It does not say that members must report to the Security Councils steps taken by them in order to ensure that they shall be in a position to defend themselves. In reply to the supplementary question of my hon. Friend the Member for Luton (Mr. Warbey), I would merely say that the arrangements we contemplate are not regional associations under Chapter 8 to which Article 54 refers.

Mr. Wilson Harris
Will my hon. Friend at least try to see to it that the Foreign Ministers of Britain, France and Belgium, as the chief negotiators of the Brussels Treaty, keep the Foreign Ministers of Britain, France and Belgium, as members of the Security Council, fully informed of what is going on?