§ 49. Mr. Robensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the communication which Her Majesty's Government have received from the French Government on the Franco-Soviet talks about German reunification.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydThere has been no formal communication from the French Government on this topic. It would not be customary or proper to disclose the normal confidential exchanges of information.
§ Mr. RobensIn view of the widespread reports of the Mollet conversations in Moscow, may I ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman whether he has sought to clarify the situation, in view of the fact that the statements by the Russian authorities seem to be so completely different from the agreement which was 988 arrived at between himself and Mr. Khrushchev and Mr. Bulganin, and published in the communiqué, when they visited this country.
§ Mr. LloydThe right hon. Gentleman's supplementary question goes a good way beyond the Question on the Paper, which deals with a communication which Her Majesty's Government are said to have received from the French Government, and no such formal communication has been received.
§ Mr. RobensIn that case, may I ask whether the Foreign Office might not seek from the French Government some indication as to what actually happened in Moscow about German reunification, or are they not interested?
§ Mr. LloydI think that is a matter for the Government. If the right hon. Gentleman will study my answer, he will find that I said it would not be customary or proper to discuss normal confidential exchanges of information.
§ Mr. RobensMay I ask whether the question has been put to the French Government?