§ 65. Mr. Healeyasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will propose that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Council Meeting in December should discuss the control of arms and forces in Central Europe.
§ Mr. HeathThe provisions for controlling arms and forces in an agreed zone in Europe, which were contained in the Western Peace Plan put forward at the Geneva Conference in May last year, were accepted by the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation at the time. These proposals still stand, and no useful purpose would be served by raising the subject in the Council now.
§ Mr. HealeyIs it not the case that the proposals to which the right hon. Gentleman refers were strictly contingent on the settlement of quite unconnected political questions, and as proposals have been made publicly by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, for substantial unilateral action by the West in changing the whole pattern of armaments in Europe, would it not be highly desirable at this N.A.T.O. Council meeting to suggest investigating with the Soviet Union some means of limiting and reducing armaments in Central Europe, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, as at one time proposed by the British Prime Minister and recently supported by The Times?
§ Mr. HeathI think that where we differ is in the hon. Gentleman's thinking that political circumstances in Europe are entirely disconnected from these specific proposals. Her Majesty's Government do not take that view. However, there is a very long agenda for this meeting of the N.A.T.O. Council and no doubt we shall have an opportunity of saying more about it in the debate which is to come.
§ Mr. HealeyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that nobody on this side of the House thinks that there is no connection between political and disarmament questions? Is he saying that there is no point whatever in trying to freeze and reduce armaments in Central Europe unless there can be proper agreement on the reunification of Germany and major changes of that nature in the political picture?
§ Mr. HeathI am not saying that. What I am saying is that our proposals are quite clear and they stand at the moment.