HC Deb 15 June 1964 vol 696 cc904-5
3. Mrs. Castle

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why he omitted from the speech he delivered on 28th April at the Ministerial meeting of the Central Treaty Organisation at Washington a passage in the prepared text calling on members of the United Nations to earmark national units of their armed forces for use in the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations.

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. R. A. Butler)

I have nothing to add to the Answer which my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to the Question by the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Brigg (Mr. E. L. Mallalieu) on 4th May.

Mrs. Castle

Would the Foreign Secretary inform the House whether his inclusion of this proposal in the prepared text of his speech means that he is in agreement with my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition about the policy which he proposes?

Mr. Butler

I would rather put it that the Leader of the Opposition is in agreement with me.

Mr. E. L. Mallalieu

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is not the first occasion on which he has done precisely this thing? After a much-heralded announcement that he was about to make a proposal on the lines indicated in the Question at the Disarmament Conference in February, he completely failed to mention it. Is not this carrying even his prevarication a little far?

Mr. Butler

When I spoke at the Disarmament Conference on 25th February, I made proper reference to this subject, and I shall be referring to it again tomorrow.

Mrs. Castle

Could the right hon. Gentleman tell the House whether the Prime Minister is in agreement with his proposal?

Mr. Butler

Yes, Sir. The Prime Minister and I are always in agreement.