HC Deb 18 March 1969 vol 780 cc204-5
Q6. Mr. Marten

asked the Prime Minister if he will state the criteria which guide him in the division of responsibility for the handling of foreign affairs as between the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and himself.

The Prime Minister

Those which have operated ever since the war, Sir, apart from the Suez period.

Mr. Marten

While recognising the obvious need for the Prime Minister to visit overseas, is he aware that some people are beginning to doubt the wisdom of the British Prime Minister, at this time when there are so many domestic problems, making so many diplomatic sorties overseas, to Bonn and Nigeria, when we have a Foreign Secretary who can probably do just as well?

The Prime Minister

The position is that there has been a long-standing agreement about annual exchanges of visits between Bonn and London. As to Nigeria, I should have thought that anyone who listened to our debate last week, or read it, would have realised the grave anxieties about this, and I think it is my duty to go.

Mr. Molloy

Would my right hon. Friend give the figures for the number of occasions that the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) has expressed the desire that my right hon. Friend should visit all sorts of places all over the world?

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