HC Deb 22 June 1966 vol 730 cc554-5
9. Mr. Ridley

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the text of the Anglo-American agreement for co-operation on the supply of arms to third countries as part of the dollar offset arrangements following on the purchase of the F111A.

Mr. Healey

No, Sir.

Mr. Ridley

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a growing feeling in America that there is no firm specific commitment under this arrangement? Is he aware that it is becoming better and better known that the right hon. Gentleman was fobbed off? Will he publish the terms of this agreement so as to vindicate himself?

Mr. Healey

The hon. Member should be aware that Mr. McNamara stated America's obligations under the agreement in the most precise terms a week or two ago to the United States Congress. Moreover, an official of the American Defence Department is coming to London this week to try to improve some of the arrangements for presenting the invitations to tender on this matter.

Mr. Frank Allaun

In view of the difficulties which have already arisen and the tremendous cost in foreign exchange to our country—which we cannot afford —will the Secretary of State carefully reconsider this proposal before it is too late and the whole matter is finished?

Mr. Healey

No, Sir.

Mr. Powell

Why was the existence of this agreement, which accounts for the greater part of the dollar cost of the F111A aircraft, not disclosed in the Defence White Paper?

Mr. Healey

It was referred to in my briefing on the Defence White Paper which was given in the House on the same afternoon that the White Paper was published. Moreover, the fact that sales to third countries were part of the sales agreement was twice referred to by me in my statement in the House that afternoon, but the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) did not discover that this was the case until two months later, when I told him.

Mr. Powell

But why was it not in the White Paper itself? Was it because the agreement had not been arrived at when that Defence White Paper went to press?

Mr. Healey

No, Sir. This agreement was arrived at a month before the right hon. Gentleman's extraordinary rigmarole to Conservative ladies in the Home Counties recently appeared to suggest.