HC Deb 09 February 1971 vol 811 cc267-8
Q1. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of all the official speeches which he made at the recent Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)

No, Sir. The proceedings of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings are confidential.

Mr. Hamilton

How, then, does the Prime Minister explain the contents of a letter that I have received from the Library today stating that copies are being sent over to the Library today? Did any of the right hon. Gentleman's speeches include the advice that his legal advisers gave him about the legal obligations entailed in the Simonstown Agreement? If they did not, and if he had that advice at the Commonwealth Conference, why did not he explain that to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers?

The Prime Minister

I have no knowledge of any Commonwealth Conference speeches being placed in the Library. I have already told the House, when I returned from the Conference, that I explained to the Heads of Government there, first, what we considered to be the legal obligations on the British Government, and, secondly, what we believed to be in the general interests of British policy.