HC Deb 13 June 1973 vol 857 cc1474-5
17. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the Middle East.

Lord Balniel

The policy of Her Majesty's Government in the Middle East remains to do what they can to help towards a peaceful settlement on the basis of Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967. We hope that the current meeting of the Security Council will bring progress towards such a settlement.

Mr. Goodhart

Does my right hon. Friend recognise that there is a danger that the large arms contracts recently signed with a number of Arab States could upset the delicate arms balance in the Middle East? Does he also realise that selling powerful weapons to the Libyan Government is about as sensible as giving matches and petrol to a young child?

Lord Balniel

I shall not comment on any particular sale because I am not sure to what my hon. Friend is referring, but in general we will not sell arms to either side in the Arab-Israeli dispute which would in our view possibly increase the chances of a resumption of hostilities. That is the criterion by which we judge the sales of arms.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

May I welcome what the right hon. Gentleman said in the latter part of his last answer? As it is a British initiative which is proceeding now in New York through the deputy representative, would it not at some stage be helpful to associate with this British initiative the United States and the Soviet Union for political reasons and for the reasons contained in the question put by the lion. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart)?

Lord Balniel

The Security Council is meeting at this moment for the first time for many years to have a serious discussion on the Middle East. It is likely to adjourn for a short period during the summit meeting and Dr. Kissinger has said that President Nixon and Mr. Brezhnev will be discussing the Middle East when they meet in Washington later this month. It is not for me to say what conclusions will emerge from those discussions.

Mr. Walters

On the question of arms supply, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that because of the enormous supply of American arms to Israel, including Phantom aircraft, there is still a vast superiority of strike weapons in Israel? On the question of the Security Council meeting, will my right hon. Friend ensure that the Government will continue to reaffirm the need for the return of the 1967—that is the new—Palestinian refugees to the West Bank even before a final settlement is reached?

Lord Balniel

I can add nothing about the matter of arms. We are well aware of the strength of armaments held by various countries in the Middle East and we judge requests for military equipment from each side on their merits. On the position of the Palestinians, our permanent representative made clear in his speech on 11th June our views on the Middle East and he referred to the position of the Palestinians in that speech.