HC Deb 16 June 1969 vol 785 cc21-2
26. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his talks in London with Herr Strauss.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

My right hon. Friend had the opportunity for a talk with Herr Strauss when he visited London last month and addressed the European Atlantic Group. Their talk was confidential.

Mr. Allaun

Did not Herr Strauss advocate a separate European nuclear force? Is not that ultimate objective of West Germany—getting nuclear participation—an extremely dangerous one?

Mr. Roberts

There have been fairly full reports of what Herr Strauss said at that meeting. It was, of course, a personal statement, not an official statement. I call the attention of the House to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said about this recently. He has made our view perfectly clear that we are not in favour of anything which would be divisive of N.A.T.O., or indeed likely to disturb the procedure to the ratification of the non-proliferation treaty.

Mr. Biffen

Is it not true that in his recent visit Herr Strauss indicated that British membership of the Common Market implied a very advanced degree of political integration in Europe? Will the right hon. Gentleman convey to the Foreign Secretary the widespread belief held in this country that neither sentiment nor interest requires that we should become a province of federal Europe?

Mr. Roberts

I think we are well aware of the extent of the sentiment to which the hon. Member has referred and also that the proposals which Herr Strauss canvassed are very far removed indeed, in time as well as in character, from the application which we are making to join the European communities.

Mr. Shinwell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a Times report indicated as plain as possible to those who read and understand it that one of the purposes of Herr Franz-Josef Strauss's visit to this country and his meeting with the Foreign Secretary was to discuss the implementation of an idea about a European nuclear pool in which West Germany would play its part? Would my right hon. Friend come clean about it, if he knows anything about it at all?

Mr. Roberts

The position was made absolutely clear by the Prime Minister when he answered Questions on this specificpoint on 22nd May and 10th June. It is that we are not in favour of such a pool if it is in any way divisive of N.A.T.O. and if it in any way imperils the non-proliferation treaty proposals. I repeat that it would be most misleading to associate this kind of proposal with the kind of application we have made to join the European economic communities.