§ 44. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Prime Minister what consideration will be given, in his forthcoming discussions with Dr. Adenauer, to the proposal to give nuclear missiles to West Germany.
§ 46. Mr. A. Lewisasked the Prime Minister (1) whether, during his forthcoming discussions with Dr. Adenauer, he will inform him that Her Majesty's Government will not agree to grant military training bases in Great Britain for the use of West German troops;
1439 (2) whether, when he is discussing with Dr. Adenauer the whole range of matters of common interest to Germany and Great Britain, he will raise the question as to why the Federal Government have requested that Great Britain should not sign an official trade agreement with the German Democratic Republic, when the Federal Government have had such an agreement for nine years, and are at present negotiating on an official basis with the German Democratic Republic for a new trade agreement.
§ The Prime MinisterAs I told the House on 6th December, Dr. Adenauer's visit has, unfortunately, had to be put off for the time being.
§ Mr. AllaunIs it not a fact that whenever we raise this question the Prime Minister fobs us off with the excuse that the nuclear warheads would be kept under American control? Is not this a worthless safeguard, since it has been officially admitted that in an emergency the warheads would be handed over to the German commander? Can the right hon. Gentleman trust Speidel, Heusinger, and other German generals with such weapons as these?
§ The Prime MinisterRegarding the substance of what the hon. Member has said, I hold to what I have said before. However, if I am asked Questions urging me to discuss something with Chancellor Adenauer and he is not coming here, it seems to me that the peg on which those Questions have been hung has fallen out of the wall.
§ Mr. LewisIn view of the importance of Question No. 46 to my constituents, who were in the worst-bombed borough in the last war, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that my constituents and very many thousands of people in this country view with grave alarm the suggestion that these troops should be invited here? Will he give me an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will not in fact give the necessary permission?
§ The Prime MinisterIf the hon. Gentleman puts down a Question, I will try to answer it in its own right. He asked me to discuss something with Dr. Adenauer. As he is not coming here, I can only say that it is a hypothetical Question.