HC Deb 25 July 1955 vol 544 cc821-3
44. Mr. Patrick Maitland

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what warships Her Majesty's Government have agreed to transfer to Egypt.

Mr. Nutting

Her Majesty's Government agreed on 21st of May to sell two "Z" class destroyers to Egypt. The Egyptian authorities have since paid for these vessels and are making the necessary arrangements for a refit in this country.

Mr. Maitland

If it is the case that we do not sell arms to those who may turn them against us, can my right hon. Friend say whether we should delay transferring those vessels until we have had satisfaction for and settlement of the Aqaba Gulf incident?

Mr. Nutting

No, Sir. But I can offer this much consolation to my hon. Friend; the refit will take at least several months and, possibly, a year.

Mr. Shinwell

While the transfer may be delayed as the right hon. Gentleman has intimated, can we have some assurance that these warships will in no circumstances be used against British ships engaged in open and lawful trading operations in the Canal?

Mr. Nutting

As the right hon. Gentleman well knows, we are still applying the policy laid down in the Tripartite Declaration of 1950 to provide a limited quantity of arms to Middle Eastern States for their legitimate self-defence—

Mr. Shinwell

Answer the question.

Mr. Nutting

—and we have also recently released two similar destroyers to Israel.

Mr. Callaghan

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman what public statement has been made about this transfer of ships and whether an undertaking was not given to the House, in view of the similarity of this incident with earlier incidents, that before any further transfer took place, an announcement should be made from the Government Dispatch Box? Has that undertaking been kept?

Mr. Nutting

So far as I am aware, Her Majesty's Government have acted with complete propriety in this matter in informing the House of Commons in answer to this Question. There has been no secrecy about this.

Mr. Callaghan

Further to that answer, does the right hon. Gentleman really think it in conformity with the spirit of the undertaking that a transfer agreed in May should be announced in response to a Question on 25th July? Is not there here some attempt at concealment?

Mr. Nutting

There has been no, attempt at concealment whatsoever.

Mr. Callaghan

In that case—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—I regret that I must insist on this point. An undertaking was given to the House that an announcement would be made. May I ask the Minister why two months have gone by before any announcement has been made, in view of the fact that the Egyptians have been firing on British ships and we are still engaged in transferring them?

Mr. Nutting

I am unaware of the undertaking to which the hon. Gentleman refers. So far as this transfer and release is concerned, I am not aware of any impropriety on the part of the Government.

Mr. Fell

Would my right hon. Friend consider very carefully before any transfers of any warlike equipment are made from this country to any State which considers itself in a state of war with any other State?

Mr. Nutting

Of course we go into these matters extremely carefully before any releases are made. We seek to preserve a balance and, in the case of these destroyers, we have preserved a balance. We regard it as important from the point of view of preserving a balance, to keep these arms deliveries, so far as possible, within our own hands, and not let them get into the hands of possibly irresponsible Governments of other countries.

Mr. Morrison

Is there not a point in the hon. Gentleman's Question? Egypt is in a declared state of war with another country, as are some other countries. Egypt has fired on our ships. Is it not utterly inappropriate that we should be supplying warships, and other warlike weapons, to a country which is in a state of war and which has been firing on our ships?

Mr. Nutting

I am astonished at the right hon. Gentleman's question, considering that we are operating both the spirit and the letter of that policy as laid down in the Tripartite Declaration of 1950 of which he himself was a signatory.

Mr. Morrison

The Tripartite Treaty was before my period of office. In any case, is not the right hon. Gentleman riding off on an irrelevant issue? What has the Tripartite Treaty to do with this? The point I am putting to the right hon. Gentleman, and the one which was put by his hon. Friend, is that Egypt is in a state of war. Surely, we should not supply warships to a country which is in a state of war of its own volition, and, secondly, which has been firing on British ships? What are the Government doing in supplying warships so that they may fire on British ships again?

Mr. Nutting

The right hon. Gentleman asked me what the Tripartite Declaration has to do with it; I will tell him. It provides that we shall supply limited quantities of arms to Middle Eastern States for their legitimate self-defence. That is precisely—

Mr. Callaghan

What self-defence is there in firing on British ships?

Mr. Nutting

If the hon. Gentleman will be civil enough to allow me to answer, that is precisely the policy which Her Majesty's Government have followed and will continue to follow.

Mr. Dugdale

In view of the fact that this transaction has been concealed from the House for two months, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any intention of selling further warships to the Egyptian Government, and can the House be informed on the matter before it rises for the Summer Recess?

Mr. Nutting

We have certainly taken no decision about the further sale of warships to the Egyptian Government, or to any other Middle Eastern Government.