§ 4. Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has had from Middle Eastern countries about Great Britain's proposed withdrawal from Aden; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. George BrownI have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the right hon. Member for Streatham (Mr. Sandys) on 10th November.—[Vol. 735, c. 350.]
§ Mr. MartenDoes not the Foreign Secretary agree that the proposal to withdraw from Aden is an act of real bad faith which lets down our friends and creates a very dangerous situation in that area? If the Foreign Secretary cannot himself get there, can he give an undertaking that no British troops will be withdrawn from Aden until the last of the 60,000 Egyptians are withdrawn from the Yemen?
§ Mr. BrownI do not accept the first part of the supplementary question and I am certainly against the third.
§ Lord BalnielCan the Foreign Secretary say what consideration he has given to the views repeatedly put forward from these benches that some form of air defence must be provided until the South Arabian Federation can maintain its independence by its own efforts?
§ Mr. BrownI believe that there are Questions later on that very point. But, as I made clear the other day to the right hon. Member for Kinross and West Perthshire (Sir Alec Douglas-Home), our proposal for helping the Federation after 1968 includes provision for an air component.
§ Mr. WhitakerIn regard to that area, would my right hon. Friend not agree that it is best to encourage the spending of money on social progress rather than on an arms race; secondly, that we support democratically elected States and not feudal sheikhdoms; and, thirdly, that we work for the United Nations to be responsible for getting peace in that area rather than our own arms?
§ Mr. SandysDoes not the right hon. Gentleman know perfectly well that it is quite impossible to provide what he calls an air component which would be able to provide air defence against the Egyptians between now and 1968, and does he not realise that he is creating a power vacuum in South Arabia which will merely invite Egyptian military intervention and subversion?
§ Mr. BrownI also know that when the right hon. Gentleman was a Minister he was very much against our undertaking to provide forces for any conceivable military operations all over the world.