§ Q1. Mr. Healeyasked the Prime Minister if he will propose to other Commonwealth Prime Ministers the offer of a joint Commonwealth military contribution to a United Nations police force.
§ The Prime Minister (Sir Alec Douglas-Home)It is for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' meeting to decide collectively what subjects are discussed. This and kindred matters can certainly be discussed if Prime Ministers so wish. Much depends on the nature of any particular proposal. Some Commonwealth countries, like ourselves, take part in United Nations collective opera- 1539 tions. It would be for their Governments to say whether "earmarking" is practical.
§ Mr. HealeyYes, but while it is for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers collectively to decide their agenda, surely every Commonwealth Government is free to make any proposals it thinks suitable? Indeed, the Tunku of Malaya has already made certain proposals and says that he proposes to present them at the conference. In view of the fact that the Commonwealth Brigade already exists and that the Prime Minister has said that he wishes for other collective Commonwealth initiatives, and since at least three Commonwealth countries have made contributions to United Nations forces, will not the Prime Minister take the initiative here for a change?
§ The Prime MinisterI should like to consider this matter a little further with my Commonwealth colleagues. The Commonwealth Brigade, for instance, is entirely occupied in Malaysia, occupied in connection with a treaty obligation. I have no doubt that the Commonwealth countries, all of them, would be willing to contribute if they could to United Nations operations. The question is whether a Commonwealth force earmarked for certain purposes should be so allocated; and this is a very different and much more complex question.
Mr. H. WilsonIf it is not too far out of order, Mr. Speaker, might I, in a brief interval between more polemic exchanges, express to the right hon. Gentleman our best wishes, in a strictly non-electoral sense, for many happy returns?
Even more in order, might I ask him a question arising out of my hon. Friend's supplementary question? Is the Prime Minister aware that—I admit, following strict precedent—he has been fairly uncommunicative with the House about the conference, as his predecessors have been; but since there has been obviously some fairly full briefing of certain newspapers about what is likely to come up and even the days on which those subjects are likely to be discussed, and since the Prime Minister himself was very communicative in his broadcast the other evening about the 1540 conference, would he give a little further thought to seeing how and in what way, without destroying the secrecy of the conference, he can be more communicative with the House?
§ The Prime MinisterI am trying to be quite communicative with the House, but we must meet before we decide what is finally on our agenda. Certain subjects will be discussed—world and economic affairs and, no doubt, we shall discuss disarmament and related matters such as the right hon. Gentleman raises—but I cannot say, before I meet them, whether the Prime Ministers will want to discuss this particular proposal.
I am obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for his congratulations on my birthday and I assure him that I will try to stay here as long as I can.