§ 48. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of President Eisenhower's offer to supply uranium to other countries, he will propose consultation between the United States Government and Her Majesty's Government in order to promote international cooperation in the financing and construction of atomic reactors in Asian and African countries.
§ The Prime MinisterI am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for giving me this opportunity to welcome President Eisenhower's latest imaginative offer to supply uranium for the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy. How the countries of the world, individually or in association, can best make use of this offer is a question which would need most careful thought.
Meanwhile, a start has already been made in the Colombo Plan and Bagdad Pact as well as in bilateral arrangements between our two countries and certain countries in Africa and Asia to help them in training in the peaceful uses of atomic energy.
§ Mr. HendersonDoes the Prime Minister's reply mean that Her Majesty's Government are to follow the action of the United States Government and make supplies of uranium available to other countries for research and development purposes? If not, will not this country be placed at a serious disadvantage in competition with the United States?
§ The Prime MinisterThe American offer to make uranium available to the countries which do not produce it is extremely generous: I think that is perfectly correct. We have been working closely with the United States in such matters as technical help for the countries which produce uranium. As to our being able to make supplies available, however, the right hon. and learned Gentleman will know that these supplies are scarce. We are not placed like the United States, and I am afraid that I cannot hold out hopes that we may be able to follow them in that field.
§ Mr. E. FletcherWill the Prime Minister confirm that Her Majesty's Government will be prepared to give technical and, if necessary, financial help to countries in Asia and Africa to enable them to benefit from the economic use of nuclear energy?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, we have been doing that and have been discussing that with the United States. We have certain plans to help what are called the underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asia to form a nucleus of trained technicians. We think that that is their first need, because until they have that, they will not be able to make much use of the raw material or other instruments placed at their disposal.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsWhile welcoming this offer, as the Prime Minister has done, may I ask whether it would not be wise at this stage, at the beginning of this new era, to consider ways and means of channelling these supplies through the United Nations to all countries, rather than by doing that through bilateral agreements?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think that that is excluded because, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, this all forms part of the offer which the President of the United States made to the United Nations some considerable time ago.