HC Deb 22 December 1976 vol 923 cc646-7
2. Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will pay an official visit to Washington DC.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Anthony Crosland)

I have no current plans to visit Washington, but I look forward to a further meeting with the Secretary of State-designate at an early opportunity.

Mr. Forman

When the Foreign Secretary or his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has an opportunity to pay a visit to Washington or to have consultations with members of the American Government in London, will he make it a high priority to discuss and pursue with the American Government the question of nuclear proliferation? Further, will he reassure the American Government that Her Majesty's Government will give the fullest support to what we believe will be President Carter's efforts to raise this question, to take it further and to see whether we cannot tighten up on the international safeguards which every sensible person wants?

Mr. Crosland

The answer to both questions is in the affirmative. The question of nuclear proliferation played a very substantial part in the United States presidential campaign, and it has been made clear already that the Carter Administration will be giving high priority to this question. That is a matter which we wholeheartedly welcome.

Mr. Thorpe

Does the Foreign Secretary agree that one priority which we should discuss with the Americans is the early reconvening of the North-South Conference, which has been postponed? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that, just as Sheikh Yamani has shown some initiative and leadership in trying to keep down the ever-escalating price of oil, we likewise have a responsibility to see whether some long-term agreement can be made for writing off the debts of the Third World?

Mr. Crosland

The two co-chairmen of the CIEC are at the moment consulting the participant members to try to agree on a renewed date, the conference having been postponed from mid-December, and we shall fit in with any date which is convenient. But it is very hard to fix a date until the new Administration has taken over in the United States. Clearly, talks without them would be counter-productive. When the CIEC reconvenes, however, the West as a whole and not simply this country will need to take a very much more coherent view than it has done so far on what it is prepared to do about debt and the various other questions which have come up in the last 12 months.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Will my right hon. Friend discuss with the American Government the ways in which a mandatory arms embargo can be applied to South Africa, since the efforts of the British Government to have an embargo have been frustrated by other countries simply filling the vacuum caused by that policy?

Mr. Crosland

It is very important to tighten up wherever we can the United Nations arms embargo which exists already and in which the British Government have participated. I have no evidence that the United States Government are prominent in trying to break this embargo. If my hon. Friend has any evidence, I should be glad if he would send it to me.

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