§ 43. Mr. Healeyasked the Prime Minister if he will attend the forthcoming meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Council, in order to discuss proposals for a nuclear partnership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. The forthcoming Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Council will not be held at the level of Heads of Governments.
§ Mr. HealeyCan the right hon. Gentleman do something to dispel the fog which has been growing steadily thicker round his speech in Massachusetts concerning nuclear partnership? Does he recall saying at a meeting in England a week ago, in an ambiguous phrase, that this was simply a thought which he threw out and that it was not yet relevant?
In view of the fact that the French Government have already exploded their third atomic bomb, will not the Prime Minister at least agree that Britain will give up her independent control of atomic weapons if this seems useful in order to stop the spread of atomic weapons in N.A.T.O.?
§ The Prime MinisterWe are considering all these problems. I posed some aspects of them in my speech. We are still searching for the answers. If we can find a method of moving from collective defence to some kind of partnership 1131 management with nuclear weapons, it would be very valuable among nuclear countries. I do not think, quite frankly, that the N.A.T.O. Council, which is about to meet in Oslo, is the appropriate place for the best discussion of this problem. This particularly affects the British, American and French Governments.
§ Mr. GaitskellWhile we welcome the Prime Minister's realisation of the great danger of the spread of these weapons, and since, according to him, the N.A.T.O. Council is not the appropriate place to discuss the problem, could he give us some idea of what other way he proposes to discuss it?
§ The Prime MinisterThese matters are discussed between Governments in the ordinary way.
§ Mr. GaitskellDoes the right hon. Gentleman contemplate a meeting between the heads of Government of Britain, the United States and France in order to discuss this matter?
§ The Prime MinisterNot necessarily a meeting, but discussions can proceed.