HC Deb 22 June 1965 vol 714 cc1469-71
Q6. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of the recent visit of Her Majesty the Queen to West Germany.

The Prime Minister

£34,000, Sir.

Mrs. Short

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is a considerable feeling in this country that to export 4½tons of silverware, glassware and candelabra for this purpose was somewhat exaggerated? Is he also aware that the visit is being regarded by progressive elements in West Germany as being of considerable support to the present West German Government, with all its nuclear ambitions and its claims for what it is pleased to call the "Lost Territories", which will have a considerable effect on the British people once again?

The Prime Minister

I am not sure whether my hon. Friend's definition and my definition of "progressive elements" are exactly the same, but I can claim to be in touch and to have been in touch for many years with at any rate the Social Democratic Party in Germany and I can say that the Social Democratic leaders played the fullest part in the universal welcome given to Her Majesty on this visit.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the population of this country by no means shares the mean and niggardly attitude of the hon. Lady to the Queen's visit and that everybody rejoices in its enormous success?

The Prime Minister

I support what the right hon. Gentleman has said about the rejoicing about the success of this visit. It was he who first suggested it and we continued with it and extended it to Berlin. He would be the first to agree that a good will visit of this kind is something which should be entirely separate and disentangled from policy questions. We have policy discussions with the West German Government, many of them on issues on which we agree and some on issues on which there are outstanding differences to settle. It would be quite wrong to link this visit with any of those discussions at Governmental level.

Mr. Bellenger

Does my right hon. Friend realise that Her Majesty's visit has probably created far more friendly diplomatic and other relations between the two countries than any other visit in this century?

Mr. Kershaw

Will the Prime Minister not separate this visit too much into a good will visit and will he not acknowledge it would be very desirable to follow up this visit by practical action to increase our co-operation in Germany?

The Prime Minister

I think our Government relations have been very close and very effective. I have had two discussions with the German Chancellor this year. We have discussed things on which we agree and we have also had discussions on the offset agreements. I think it would be wrong to link the importance of this State visit in our minds with, for example, possible disagreements that we have been having on the offset agreements.

Mr. Rankin

Should my hon. Friend not be congratulated on her Question? Is it not obvious that she has brought the attention of the House to bear on this issue to the profit of all concerned?

The Prime Minister

I think it has been a very good exchange. It was a very good Question and I hope the House thought it was a very good Answer. I think that the profit and value of this Question began to occur as soon as we got away from silverware and candelabra and on to the real results of the visit.