§ 45. Mr. Wyattasked the Prime Minister whether he will inform the President of the United States of America, at Bermuda, that it will not be possible for Her Majesty's Government to disclose to the United States Government British developments in defences against atomic weapons, until the United States Government has disclosed to Her Majesty's Government American developments in atomic weapons.
§ The Prime Minister (Sir Winston Churchill)I do not feel called upon to make any specific declaration today on this subject.
§ Mr. WyattWould the Prime Minister give an assurance to the House that he will not continue the practice of disclosing to the United States information about defences against atomic weapons, other atomic developments, and other 518 secret weapons invented in this country unless the United States give us, in return, the fullest information about their inventions?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not really see that any specific conditions can be laid down about these matters. The ordinary course of propriety will be followed.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonDoes the Prime Minister accept the principle that, in this matter, if information is to be given it should be given upon a fair and reciprocal basis?
§ The Prime MinisterThat statement has been repeatedly made.
§ Mr. WyattBut does not the Prime Minister agree that the time has come when this one-way traffic of information from ourselves to the Americans, with nothing given in return, should cease, and that they should give as much information to us as we give to them
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman really has no claim to be the only person of patriotic opinions in this country.
§ Mr. AttleeSurely this is a matter which concerns us. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, owing to Acts passed in the Senate, the American Government have been hampered in giving us information which, I believe, their experts would like to give us? Surely it is a matter which might be taken up, because it is only fair that we should have as much benefit from them as they get from us.
§ The Prime MinisterIf all the facts were published as to the arrangements which I made during the war, and which were allowed to slip away after the war, I think the right hon. Gentleman would find some difficulty in making complaints against me. We have, of course, made more progress since we came in and took on the matter. We have made much more progress in obtaining information from the United States, and in improving the conditions of exchange, than has been made before. We shall certainly pursue that course. And I have repeatedly said that we expect to receive reciprocal information.
§ Mr. AttleeI am sorry the right hon. Gentleman has made that remark, because it is quite impossible to judge those matters without a very full disclosure. The right hon. Gentleman knows quite well that it is very largely due to the action of the Senate that an agreement made could not be carried out.
§ The Prime MinisterI certainly see no reason why, at some future date, full disclosure should not be made.
§ 49. Mr. Edelmanasked the Prime Minister what further communications he has received from the United States of America concerning the exchange of information on atomic energy; and how far an exchange of information on the industrial uses of atomic energy will form part of the new arrangements.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission recently stated that it had been found possible to make arrangements within the limits imposed by the McMahon Act to extend the existing area of co-operation to include exchange of information with us on the effects of atomic weapons on human beings and their environment.
The provision about the exchange of information on the industrial uses of atomic energy remains unchanged.
§ Mr. EdelmanWhile welcoming any enlargement of the exchange of information, may I ask whether it is not the case that the proposals of the United States admiral, Admiral Straus, work rather one-sidedly to the advantage of the United States, particularly in view of our far greater experience of being bombed? In those circumstances, will not the Prime Minister propose to President Eisenhower that there should be an enlarged and general reciprocal exchange of information, including information about industry, to avoid wasteful duplication?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. Our desire is that the exchange should be reciprocal and on fair and equal terms. That is what we shall endeavour to do.