HC Deb 20 December 1962 vol 669 cc1436-8
Q4. Mr. D. Foot

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish the recent correspondence between the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and himself regarding economic aid to Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I have been asked to reply.

No, Sir. It seems best to maintain the practice of regarding communications between Commonwealth Prime Ministers as confidential.

Mr. Foot

Does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that a White Paper has been published in Trinidad setting out the letters which were sent by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago to the Prime Minister of this country? In those circumstances, is it not desirable that the replies should be published so that the public in both countries may judge of this matter?

Mr. Butler

We do not think, even after considering the remarks of the hon. and learned Gentleman, of which I was aware, that we should be right to depart from our own practice.

Mr. Healey

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, though many of us when we first heard that the Prime Minister of Trinidad had rejected Her Majesty's Government's offer of aid felt that his conduct was intemperate, now that we have been able to read the White Paper published by the Trinidad Government and discover that more than £500,000 offered was to be committed against the will of the Trinidad Government to expenditure in which they had no direct national interest, we cannot but feel that Her Majesty's Goverment's offer was so insulting as to justify the response of the Prime Minister of Trinidad?

Mr. Butler

I do not accept what the hon. Gentleman says. We made as generous an offer as we possibly could having regard to our many other commitments. We still remain in friendly relations with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago despite the differences of opinion. I am afraid that I cannot add further to that.

Mr. J. Griffiths

When dealing with Trinidad will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that shortly before Trinidad became independent Her Majesty's Government sold to another country one of its greatest resources, namely, Trinidad Oil?

Mr. Butler

I will bear all those considerations in mind.