HC Deb 11 May 1959 vol 605 cc845-6
20. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the reason for recent changes in the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to limiting arms in Central Europe.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

There have been no such changes in the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Allaun

Did not the Foreign Secretary, speaking on television last Monday, speak of mutual inspection of arms and perhaps ceilings instead of disengagement and thinning out? Does the Minister recall that the red lines on both sides of the carpet of this Chamber, beyond which we may not step, were originally imposed to keep possible adversaries at sword's length and thus avoid conflict? Could not this earlier method of disengagement be repeated equally successfully today? Just as we have learnt to discard swords, cannot the two worlds do so too?

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

I do not think that my right hon. and learned Friend has ever used the word "disengagement" in reference to any plan which the Government have tabled.

Mr. Bevan

The Prime Minister has on several occasions used the phrase "limitation and thinning out".

Mr. Ormsby-Gore

Those are different words.