HC Deb 09 April 1964 vol 692 cc1206-7
Q5. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Prime Minister whether, in his last conversation with President Johnson, the subject of Great Britain's representation at a summit or any other important conference concerned with promoting world peace was discussed; and what agreement was reached.

The Prime Minister

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply to his Question on the same subject on 25th February.

Mr. Shinwell

in view of the doubts expressed by the right hon. Gentleman about whether the United Kingdom could be represented at an international conference dealing with world peace or any other international topic, would it not be desirable to ascertain some clarification from President Johnson so that the doubts could be removed?

The Prime Minister

No, Sir. President Johnson and I did not talk about hypothetical questions. When there are great international conferences, Britain is represented.

Mr. Shinwell

Yes, but did not the right hon. Gentleman himself deal with a hypothesis when he suggested that we could not he represented at an international conference unless we had an independent nuclear deterrent—that we could not go naked into a conference?

The Prime Minister

What I said, I think at an earlier stage—I should have to refresh my memory—was that we would not have been at the Moscow Conference dealing with the nuclear Test Ban Treaty unless we had been a nuclear Power. That is what I said to the right hon. Gentleman.

Mr. H. Wilson

Would the Prime Minister explain why we were not in the inner conference room in the discussions on disarmament between the United States and the Soviet Union which were announced in Geneva last week?

The Prime Minister

We and the United States are putting forward at Geneva a joint plan to every part—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] J thought that hon. Members knew that. We were agreed on every part of it. Sometimes we may discuss with the Russians some particular aspect of disarmament and the United States may discuss some particular aspect. But we are agreed on the general plan and, indeed, on all details of it.

Mr. Wilson

Would the right hon. Gentleman now answer the Question that I put to him? Is he aware—he must be aware, but will he tell the House that he is aware—that last week the American Government representative at Geneva announced that there had been secret talks between America and the Soviet Union on the vital question of measures to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and that these were being held up because of Soviet feeling about the multilateral force on which the right hon. Gentleman is so equivocal? If all his speeches on this subject are to be believed, will he say why we were not at those inner talks?

The Prime Minister

We sometimes talk to the Russians and the Americans sometimes talk to the Russians. If we talk to the Russians alone, or the Americans talk to the Russians alone, we subsequently exchange the information with each other.