HC Deb 18 November 1959 vol 613 cc1150-1
7. Mr. Zilliacus

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in order to produce a favourable atmosphere for the Summit Conference, he will instruct the United Kingdom representatives at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to oppose the issue of nuclear weapons to German forces, to object to Germany being allowed to build bigger warships, and to express disapproval of United States arms firms placing North Atlantic Treaty Organisation contracts in Germany.

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

German forces are not given control of nuclear weapons.

Any proposal about warships will have to be considered on its merits.

There are no such things as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation contracts. The Answer to the hon. Member's question is therefore "No, Sir."

Mr. Zilliacus

Is it not a fact that American firms are placing large contracts in Germany for the making of weapons for the use of N.A.T.O. forces, and is not the whole policy of increasing German military power, without demanding guarantees about German foreign policy, one fraught with considerable danger and calculated to make the success of a Summit Conference more difficult?

Mr. Lloyd

I do not accept what the hon. Gentleman says. The policy of the rearming of Germany was initiated from the other side of the House without any question of the control of German foreign policy. I think it has been the right policy, because we must have collective defence in Western Europe.

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