§ Q2. Mr. Winnickasked the Prime Minister what Departments of State are involved in dealing with the Aden problem; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Foreign Office is primarily responsible, Sir, but of course other Departments such as the Ministries of Defence and Overseas Development have a part to play.
§ Mr. WinnickCould my right hon. Friend tell the House what arrangements are being made for a constitutional review in Aden and will he agree that the whole federal set-up needs to be drastically reviewed, and that this scheme should never have been brought into being in the first place?
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in the recent debate about Aden. On the latter part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, this 736 was a matter for some discussion during that debate. But, as I suggested the other day, the urgent thing now is to face the present and the future rather than to make mutual recriminations about who was to blame.
§ Mr. MaudlingDoes the Prime Minister recognise that uncertainty about the Government's policy in Aden is causing great damage there and indeed to British interests throughout the Middle East? Will he undertake to consult very frankly about this with King Faisal of Saudi Arabia when he visits this country?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman will recognise the great need for consultations before statements are made, and these have been going on. As I think the right hon. Gentleman knows, Lord Shackleton is now back in this country and is reporting. Certainly when King Faisal is here there will be the fullest exchange on all matters affecting the Middle East and more widely.