HC Deb 10 February 1960 vol 617 cc442-3
17. Mr. G. Brown

asked the Minister of Defence what progress was made with the integration of production of weapons within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries at the meeting of the Western European Union Council in London on 4th February.

Mr. Watkinson

The matter was not discussed at the meeting of the Western European Council on 4th February.

Mr. Brown

Would the right hon. Gentleman care to indicate why he did not raise the subject? Is not this question of integration of production enormously important? Is not the W.E.U. Council of tremendous importance in getting the question considered? Why do we allow these meetings to take place, and not raise it?

Mr. Watkinson

I am happy to answer the right hon. Gentleman. The next step is the meeting of Defence Ministers which, I hope, will be held in Paris at the end of March. That is when we shall next discuss the integration of weapons within N.A.T.O. Incidentally, that is why I make no apology for the joint approach with the West German Government for a N.A.T.O. ground-to-ground missile.

Mr. Brown

Is not the Minister now mixing two things? I gather that he is now talking about the Defence Ministers in the N.A.T.O. Council, but I was speaking of the W.E.U. Is not the W.E.U., by its constitution, a very useful place in which to raise this subject? And is not the W.E.U. growing incredibly weaker because it does not discuss such things? Would it not be far better to make more use of the opportunity afforded by the W.E.U.?

Mr. Watkinson

I am perfectly willing to be available to the Western European Union at any time if it wants to question me and discuss matters with me. As to the meeting of Defence Ministers, what I meant was that when we meet in Paris in March we could discuss a whole range of issues, including the Western European Union.

Mr. Shinwell

What authority has the W.E.U.? Is it not a fact that the countries associated with the Western European Union are also associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation? Why duplicate the effort?

Mr. Watkinson

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that there is, perhaps, a great deal of inter-relation between the two. On the other hand, we should certainly not seek to weaken the Western European Union, because it is within that body that lie the essential safeguards against a degree of German rearmament that many might think was a danger.

Mr. Strachey

Taken together, do not the right hon. Gentleman's last two answers mean that although the round for the heavy machine gun may now be standardised, the round for the rifle is not standardised as between British and German forces? Did the Minister raise that at the W.E.U.?

Mr. Watkinson

That point is not raised by the original Question. If the right hon. Gentleman puts down a Question on that matter, I shall answer it, but I think that I had better be very precise on this, and I hope that I have been precise about the heavy machine gun.