§ 25. Mr. Peytonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what recent communication he has had with the United States Secretary of State on the subject of a common policy in the Middle East.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydThere are constant exchanges of view with the United States Government about policy in the Middle East.
§ Mr. PeytonMay I ask my right hon. and learned Friend whether there has been any consultation between himself and the U.S. Secretary of State on the subject either of President Eisenhower's recent statement on the Middle East or of recent American agreement to supply arms to Saudi Arabia? May I also ask him—I am sure he will be willing to do this—to disregard some of Mr. Dulles' more unfortunate recent remarks, and to ask the Americans whether they are not prepared now to concert a common policy in the Middle East with this country, because the absence of one for many years has been disastrous?
§ Mr. LloydI think it has been said already that there was not prior consultation before the statement of President Eisenhower's policy on the Middle East. So far as the future is concerned, if my hon. Friend will wait two or three minutes, he might hear something more.
§ Mr. YoungerIn view of what the Foreign Secretary has said about constant contacts with the Americans, can he comment on the recent statement of Mr. Dulles that while the Tripartite Declaration remains an outstanding declaration of United States policy, he does not know whether the same is the case with the other two signatories? It does not seem to indicate very close consultation on a matter of great importance to many countries in the Middle East.
§ Mr. LloydI am not aware of that statement, but there is a later Question about the Tripartite Declaration in which that is dealt with.