§ 46. Mr. Rankinasked the Prime Minister what consultations he had with President Kennedy on matters of mutual interest to the United Kingdom and the United States of America prior to the meeting between President Kennedy and Mr. Khrushchev in Vienna.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydI have been asked to reply.
As the House knows, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Kennedy at Key West and subsequently at Washington in March and April. The agreed joint communiqué issued after these talks, and my right 1391 hon. Friend's answers to Questions in the House, made it clear that these discussions covered a wide range of matters of mutual interest. In addition to these personal talks, there are, of course, consultations at all times in the normal way between Her Majesty's Government, the American Government and other allied Governments.
§ Mr. RankinSince we do not hear very much about what happened at Vienna as a result of the previous conversations at Key West, could the right hon. and learned Gentleman—without violating anything that happened between the President and the Prime Minister later—tell us a little about any agreements that were reached at Key West, or are we to conclude that the identity of interest between ourselves and America on foreign affairs is now so complete that our foreign policy can be adequately expressed by President Kennedy?
§ Mr. LloydI do not think that the hon. Gentleman is right to make any such deductions from what I have said, from what was contained in the statement, or from what was said in answer to questions by the Prime Minister.