HC Deb 19 December 1955 vol 547 cc1656-7
52. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further consultations he has had with the other parties to the Tripartite Declaration of May, 1950, concerning the supply of arms to Egypt and other countries in the Middle East by Soviet satellite countries.

Mr. Nutting

Her Majesty's Government are in close and constant touch with the other parties to the Tripartite Declaration on this and all other aspects of the situation in the Middle East.

Mr. S. Silverman

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what confidence any nation concerned in the Tripartite Declaration can possibly have in it while anonymous spokesmen in his Department, for whom the Foreign Secretary is responsible, insist upon prejudging the merits of every frontier incident before the United Nations Commission can have time to investigate it or make a proper official report?

Mr. Nutting

I do not for a moment accept the implications in the hon. Member's supplementary question. If the hon. Member will wait for a few moments, he will find a perfectly good answer to Question No. 64 which he has on the Order Paper.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Can my right hon. Friend say whether arms in any appreciable quantity have already reached any of the States in question from the Soviet bloc?

Mr. Nutting

Not without notice.