HC Deb 07 March 1972 vol 832 cc1229-31
Q1. Mr. Onslow

asked the Prime Minister how many meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Council he has attended since he took office.

The Prime Minister

None, Sir. It is normally the practice for Governments to be represented by their Foreign Ministers at ministerial meetings of the North Atlantic Council. My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary expects to attend the next ministerial meeting of the Council in Bonn on 30th and 31st May.

Mr. Onslow

As my right hon. Friend is aware that recent criticism of the effectiveness of N.A.T.O. has caused a great deal of concern in this country, will he invite his right hon. Friend at that meeting to remind the alliance that public confidence in it will depend to a large extent upon the interest and expenditure which all member Governments are seen to be willing to devote to it?

The Prime Minister

I think that my hon. Friend is quite correct. The deficiencies in certain aspects of N.A.T.O. defence have been brought to the fore recently by General Walker, but these are deficiencies which the Eurogroup in N.A.T.O. has been trying to eradicate. The improvement to common defence which the European countries have made in the past years has been quite considerable.

Mr. Fernyhough

Will the Prime Minister see to it that when the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary attends the meeting of N.A.T.O. to which he has referred he raises very forcibly with N.A.T.O. its vetoing of the contract which Ferranti has obtained from Poland? Will he ask the Foreign Secretary to make clear to N.A.T.O. that America is extending its trade rapidly with Communist countries, as are Germany and France? Will he make it clear that as long as they go on trading with Rhodesia, contrary to United Nations decisions, we shall do what we can to obtain export orders, wherever they may be obtained?

The Prime Minister

This is a matter with which the Government have been concerned because they realise its importance to Ferranti and to the employment situation in this country. Discussions are continuing, and I would not like to comment on them except to say that there is a generally agreed procedure for the supply of specific items of equipment, under COCOM, to the Soviet bloc and to China.

Mr. Sandys

In view of the great increase in Soviet military power and the consequent need for an increased defence effort on the Western side, will my right hon. Friend see that the attention of N.A.T.O. is drawn to a greater extent than hitherto to the necessity for standardisation and joint production of armaments? This is the only way by which we can increase our military effectiveness without vast increases in taxation.

The Prime Minister

I appreciate the importance of my right hon. Friend's point. As he knows from his past experience, this is one of the matters which British Governments have constantly pressed upon the N.A.T.O. Powers, and we shall certainly continue to do so.