HC Deb 13 June 1973 vol 857 cc1471-2
13. Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on progress towards a Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

9. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the talks on European security.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

I am glad to say that the preparatory talks for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe ended in Helsinki on 8th June with agreement ad referendum to participating Governments on a document containing a detailed agenda for the conference. I shall be arranging for copies of this document to be laid in the Library.

Subject to confirmation from the Governments concerned, the first stage of the conference should begin on 3rd July at Helsinki on the basis of what has been agreed.

Mr. Sproat

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that in the next stages of the talks we make clear to the Soviet Union that we attach the greatest importance to the increasing of human contacts between East and West, and that by this we mean not just contacts between Governments or between special cultural groups but increasing communication and travel by and between individuals? Second, will my right hon. Friend confirm that Her Majesty's Government are prepared to look constructively at the question of some sort of continuing machinery to emerge when the CSC comes to an end?

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

The agenda covers the question of more contacts between Western Europe and the Warsaw Pact countries. That is satisfactory to us, and we shall certainly argue as my hon. Friend suggests. I have an open mind about the question of continuing machinery. We had better see how the committees which have been set up with specific terms of references get on before we decide whether or not there is to be continuing machinery.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

May I say how glad we all are with the progress made at these vital discussions. Will the Foreign Secretary say whether progress is to be made beyond defining the heads of the agenda to be discussed, how far this has proceeded, and whether the report that he proposes to make available to us will indicate how far discussions have now proceeded beyond agreement on the heads?

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

I am glad to be able to say that there is considerable progress beyond the heads of agreement. In other words, the discussions which the committees will have to undertake are indicated in considerable detail, as the right hon. Gentleman will see if he looks at the documents in the Library.

Mr. John Mendelson

Everyone will welcome agreement on the preliminary conference and that this is a comprehensive agenda, but does the right hon. Gentleman accept that most people will expect the conference soon to get down to discussion of the reduction of forces and the halting of the tremendous amount of rearmament now going on on both sides in spite of declarations by Eastern and Western Governments? Far too much money is being spent on active rearmament, and any conference which loses itself in generalities and does not get down to these things very quickly will be a great disappointment to many who have argued for the conference over the years.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

The hon. Member appears to be mixing up two conferences. In the conference on European security there will not be much talk, if any, about the reduction of armaments. There may be talk about supervising manoeuvres. It is when the question of mutual and balanced force reductions is reached that the problems raised by the hon. Member will be dealt with.

Sir J. Rodgers

Will my right hon. Friend give us an assurance that the question of the free movement of people and ideas between East and West Europe will be on the agenda?

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Yes.