East-West Security and Co-operation

HC Deb 06 November 1974 vol 880 cc1052-4

10. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent negotiations on East-West security and co-operation; and what further progress has been made in mutual arms reduction.

Mr. Hattersley

The CSCE discussions in Geneva have proceeded more slowly than we would have liked. But we continue to look forward to an early and successful conclusion to the conference.

It is bound to take time to reconcile the differences of approach between the two sides in Vienna. In the meantime, the discussions on force reductions are proceeding in a business-like fashion.

Mr. Roberts

Is not my hon. Friend very concerned about the extreme slowness of the discussions? In view of Britain's minimal contribution to Western defence, in spite of the enormous burden of defence costs on the British people, does he not feel that it is perhaps time to consider further extensive cuts in Britain's defence spending?

Mr. Hattersley

My hon. Friend's supplementary question confuses two issues. The first is the progress of the European security conference and the MBFR talks. The Government are anxious that progress should be made in that matter, but we are also anxious that the outcome should be satisfactory and successful. It may be that a successful outcome requires us to proceed slowly. Certainly all members of Her Majesty's Government agree that reductions need to be made in the burden of defence spending. Some of them will be in the defence review when it is announced to the House and to the country later this year. On the other hand, the MBFR and CSCE talks have to make progress on a complementary and parallel basis to that, and it would not be in the interests of détente or of this country if we were to try to proceed with those too quickly.

Mr. Sproat

What progress is being made in the most important section of the CSCE talks, namely, persuading the Soviet Union to allow greater and freer movement of people and ideas across frontiers?

Mr. Hattersley

Basket 3, which is the colloquial and ugly term for it, is the area of major controversy and difficulty. I take the view, as do the Government, that we have to make progress in that area for the conference to be successful. There is a need to make progress there, and I am anxious that we should succeed rather than move quickly. Those two matters must be reconciled.

Mrs. Winifred Ewing

Will the defence cuts involve a cut in nuclear expenditure? May we have a clear and straight answer to that?

Mr. Hattersley

I am sure that it will be clear when the defence review is announced later this year.