HC Deb 12 June 1967 vol 748 cc88-9
39. Mr. Coe

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he expects to announce the membership of the British side of the new Anglo-Soviet Consultative Committee.

Mr. George Brown

I spoke to the Soviet Government about the Committee during my visit to Moscow. They gave me their proposals for the Committee's terms of reference in reply to the suggestions we put to them earlier. As soon as the terms of reference are settled, I intend to approach people to serve on the British Group of the Committee.

Mr. Coe

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply, but may I urge on him the need to push this ahead as quickly as possible? To whom will the Consultative Committee report when it comes to its conclusions on various aspects of Anglo-Soviet co-operation, in view of the wide nature of the subjects covered by the Committee?

Mr. Brown

I am very well aware of the need and very keen that we should push it ahead as fast as we can, because I think that it will help the relationships of both countries with each other. Each side of the Committee will, of course, report to its own Government.

Mr. Marten

Are not quite a number of matters in the communiqué going rather slowly? Does the Foreign Secretary recall that the Prime Minister said that we must keep up the momentum? Does not that rather glossy communiqué now look a bit tarnished?

Mr. Brown

The hon. Gentleman is quite wrong. Quite a lot is happening and is happening rather quickly. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is off today to deal with one part of it. What we have to do is to ensure that each part comes to fruition in a form which can then carry us to the next stage of the journey, and that we are doing.