§ 5. Mr. Kaufmanasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make it known to potential customers for British arms supplies that, in the event of these arms being used in hostilities, neither ammunition nor spares may be made available for them.
§ 24. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will draw to the attention of potential overseas customers for British arms any right of the Government to withhold ammunition or spare parts for such arms in the event of their use in hostilities.
§ Mr. Ian GilmourNo, Sir.
§ Mr. KaufmanIs the right hon. Gentleman admitting that this is not a general policy but simply a policy aimed at one country? While this may satisfy his own personal prejudices, does he not regard it as a grave slur on Britain's reputation as a trading nation, let alone her honour and integrity?
§ Mr. GilmourNo, Sir. As the hon. Gentleman knows, this embargo was not directed against one country. It is perfectly even-handed and has been as strictly applied to the Arabs, for whom the larger part of the arms in the pipeline was destined, as to the Israelis. The hon. Gentleman's strictures are very wide of the mark.
§ Sir F. BennettDoes my right hon. Friend accept that the only possible purport of the Questions, other than the immediate one, could be the implication that in future a Labour Government, if there should ever be one again, would honour all previous arms agreements made by their Conservative predecessors?
§ Mr. GilmourI would not like to speculate on the motives of the hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick (Mr. Kaufman), but he will realise that arms sales play an important part both in our balance of payments and in preserving employment, so I am sure he would not wish to knock such sales.
§ Mr. JannerDoes not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate the depths of disgust in which the Government's policy in this respect is regarded, not only in Israel but by vast numbers of people of all faiths in this country who value her good name?
§ Mr. GilmourI think that the hon. and learned Gentleman is quite wrong. I agree that it has caused dismay or distress in Israel, but I cannot agree that it was in any way unfair or that it has caused similar reactions in this country.
§ Mr. WoodhouseWill my right hon. Friend at least convey to potential customers the view that ammunition and spares will be denied them, as proposed in the Questions, if they transfer British weapons to other countries engaged in aggressive war, as Saudi Arabia did last month?
§ Mr. GilmourI have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said about the implications of the embargo, and I cannot accept the implications of what my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Woodhouse) has said.
§ Mr. LoughlinAs the sale of arms is merely a traffic in death, would not it be 1109 better, irrespective of the political complexion of the Government of this country, if as a general principle we as a nation refused to sell arms, spares or any other equipment that is used to kill people?
§ Mr. GilmourThe hon. Gentleman should know that there are a great many jobs involved in this trade and, as I said just now, the country gains a great deal of foreign exchange from such a trade. One of the few constructive actions committed by the last administration was to appoint an arms salesman.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltMy right hon. Friend will be aware that the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary put forward the thesis that, although it was not proper to break a contract, it was perfectly proper to postpone one. Is that a proposition which my right hon. Friend's Department now accepts?
§ Mr. GilmourI have nothing to add about when the embargo will be lifted, but of course it will not be permanent.
§ Mr. JannerUntil they are not needed.