§ Q1. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Prime Minister what discussions he is having with President Kennedy with a view to the holding of a Summit Conference.
§ Q6. Mr. Mayhewasked the Prime Minister what proposals he intends to make to President Kennedy for improving East-West relations.
§ Q8. Mr. Rankinasked the Prime Minister if, during his proposed visit to President Kennedy, he will consult him about the importance of supporting China's admission to the United Nations Organisation.
§ Q11. Mr. Zilliacusasked the Prime Minister whether, on his visit to President de Gaulle, he will make it clear that Her Majesty's Government are opposed to the establishment of a European nuclear force with nuclear weapons of its own.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)At my meetings with President Kennedy and President de Gaulle next month we shall discuss the general international situation in the light of events since our last meetings. As I told the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson) on 27th November, I hope that we can now try to solve some of the immediate problems connected with disarmament, nuclear tests and measures against surprise attack.
§ Mr. HendersonWould not the Prime Minister agree that progress is much more likely to be made in reaching agreement on the three immediate problems to which he referred on Tuesday if they were discussed directly with Mr. Khrushchev round the conference table? May the House take it that Her Majesty's Government would welcome a summit conference, provided, of course, that the ground was properly prepared beforehand?
§ The Prime MinisterThat, of course, is a matter not only for Her Majesty's Government but for the allied Governments as a whole. I think the proviso which the right hon. and learned Member made is of the greatest importance. It is that work which we have been trying to do at Geneva and by various diplomatic methods.
§ Mr. MayhewDoes the Prime Minister recall that in his letter to Mr. Khrushchev during the Cuban crisis he raid that the withdrawal of the offensive weapons would open the way to agreement on the first stage of disarmament and a nuclear tests ban? Does this not put a certain obligation on the Government to pat forward their proposals in these fields? Will he bear in mind that Mr. Khrushchev is under strong public criticism from Communist sources for saying that agreement can be reached with the Western Powers?
§ The Prime MinisterOf course, I realise both those problems, and for that reason I want to get this agreed before Christmas.
§ Mr. RankinArising out of Q.8, as I am sure the Prime Minister agrees that submitting disputes to the United Nations organisation for settlement is one method of keeping the peace, in view of recent happenings between China and India is it not now obvious that it would be more helpful if China could he admitted to the United Nations so that she might not be tempted to take unilateral methods of settling disputes? Would the right hon. Gentleman not advance that view to President Kennedy when he meets him at the forthcoming conference?
§ The Prime MinisterOf course that is a subject on which one could hold 655 various views. Her Majesty's Government made quite clear their view in the vote we gave at the United Nations.
§ Mr. RankinSurely there are not various views, as the Prime Minister suggested, about submitting disagreements to the United Nations for settlement?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I thought that the hon. Member was referring to China's membership of the United Nations. On that matter we expressed our view by our vote on the last occasion. The hon. Member asked about referring disputes to the United Nations. It does not follow that a dispute cannot be taken to the United Nations if a country is not a member. There are precedents for that.