§ Q1. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister whether he will visit the Middle East.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. George Brown)I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend has no present plans for such a visit.
§ Mr. MartenShould not the Government or the Prime Minister try to do something more positive about our ships in the Suez Canal at this moment? As the United Nations has not been successful in liberating them, will the right hon. Gentleman consider calling together the nations whose ships are trapped to see whether collectively they could free them from this international waterway? Would not this be acceptable both to Israel and to Egypt?
§ Mr. BrownThat is a rather different question. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I am very anxious to get the ships out of the Canal and am active in my efforts to do so. But I do not think a visit by my right hon. Friend, as suggested by the hon. Member, is necessarily the way to do it. [Laughter.] As I began that sentence, I thought that that would be the inevitable response. I am sure that the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), like myself, is genuinely concerned about getting the ships out, but I think that our present policy is the right one to follow.
§ Mr. HenigWas the opportunity taken in the recent consultations with the Soviet Government to press upon them the undesirability of their continued intensive rearmament of the United Arab Republic, which can only make worse the tensions in the Middle East?
§ Mr. BrownThat is most certainly another question. I am in touch with both Governments, mostly concerned with the question of the Suez Canal and the ships trapped, and I will continue to be in touch with them. If my hon. Friend would like to put down a specific Question on the aspect he mentioned, I will arrange to answer it.