§ 19. Sir T. Beamishasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in the four power talks over the future of Berlin, and summarise the Government's main objects in these negotiations.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe 10th round of Four Power talks at Ambassadorial level is taking place today in Berlin. The Allied objective is to reach an agreement with the Soviet Union which will eliminate potential causes of tension from the situation in and around the City and which will secure practical improvements for the ordinary Berliner.
§ Sir T. BeamishWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind the view that a failure by the Soviet Government to agree to the very reasonable demands we are making about the future status of Berlin would make the holding of a European security conference to discuss much wider issues an extremely doubtful proposition?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeYes, Sir, but I do not think that we need anticipate that the Berlin talks will fail. Progress has been made so far, and I hope that the Soviet Union will agree to easement of access and transit arrangements which will make the life of the ordinary people of Berlin much easier than it is now.
§ Mr. HealeyWhilst I echo the right hon. Gentleman's hope, will he confirm 849 that Her Majesty's Government's position is the complement to that which his hon. and gallant Friend suggested, namely, that if progress is made on the Berlin matter, one major obstacle to the early holding of a European security conference will have been removed?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeIf a European security conference is to be held, it must achieve something practical, and therefore considerable preparation of the agenda of such a conference will be necessary. I do not have a closed mind at all. I think that if there were really good preparation for it there is something to be said for it, but it will depend largely on what good will the Russians show over Berlin.
§ Mr. LongdenWhat has become of the apparently mutual agreement that there should be a standing commission—organ, I think they call it on the other side—set up to go into the question of such a conference?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI think that there are two matters here. There is the question of preparation, for which a body would have to be set up to make sure that a conference was properly prepared. There is another proposition that there should be a standing organ following such a conference which would look at all matters of European concern. These are two parallel matters which must be worked out together.