HC Deb 15 March 1960 vol 619 cc1120-1
40. Mr. Healey

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent official talks with President de Gaulle.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)

No, Sir. As I told the hon. Member for Gorton (Mr. Zilliacus) on 10th March, the visit was a private one and no statement or communiqué was issued.

Mr. Healey

Can the Prime Minister tell the House, first, whether he had any discussions on the situation created by the determination of the French Government to persist in testing atomic weapons in defiance of a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly; and, secondly, whether he took the opportunity of expressing to the French President the profound disquiet that is widely felt in this country at the reported decision of the President to seek a purely military solution of the Algerian problem?

The Prime Minister

If I were to go into detail, I would be doing exactly what I said I would not do.

Mr. S. Silverman

When the Prime Minister says that this was a private visit, is he intending to imply that he did not go there as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

The Prime Minister

It was not one of those conferences at which it is common to issue communiqués. Naturally, we had considerable discussion over a large number of subjects and I think that this is a valuable practice.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Is the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Healey) correct in saying that President de Gaulle is seeking a purely military solution in Algeria?

The Prime Minister

I did not wish to get drawn into the details, because I should then be issuing the communiqué.

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