§ Q3. Mr. Newens asked the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet President Ford.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government are in regular touch with the United States Administration at all levels, Sir, and I myself had several useful discussions with President Ford on matters of mutual interest in the course of 1975. There are no current plans for any early meeting.
§ Mr. NewensWhen my right hon. Friend next meets President Ford, will he raise with him the appalling record of executions, tortures and abuses of human rights carried out by regimes installed by CIA intervention in Iran, Guatemala, Chile and elsewhere and make it clear that a Labour Government will never tolerate such activities being planned in London? Will he also tell President Ford that all CIA agents attached to the United States Embassy in Grosvenor Square should go home immediately?
§ The Prime MinisterI have repeatedly said to my hon. Friend and others of my hon. Friends that if they have any evidence whatsoever relating to the behaviour of CIA personnel in this country that they feel it right to bring to my attention, I will immediately go into it and take any action that may be necessary. My hon. Friend criticised certain activities in other countries. In many cases these are activities that my right hon. Friends and I have criticised both in opposition and in Government. But that is another matter. I have taken the line abroad, in both the United States and the Soviet Union, of not normally raising with them the activities of either the CIA or the KGB in third countries, unless a specific British interest has been involved.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherWill the Prime Minister take an early opportunity to express to President Ford the gratitude of the British people for the fact that the American taxpayer continues to foot the major part of the bill for the defence of Europe and the Western world? Will he also explain to the President why the British Government plan to make further 1535 cuts in defence expenditure when Russia and her allies are increasing their defence expenditure?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is not necessary for me to give any explanation to the President of the United States based on erroneous statements made by the hon. Gentleman. I have made clear in the House on a number of occasions—the hon. Gentleman will have the opportunity of studying the figures when they are published in the defence White Paper, on which there will be a debate—that we have not in any way reduced our contribution to the NATO collective arrangement—that seemed to be the basis of the hon. Gentleman's question. The hon. Gentleman, who is no doubt supporting recent authoritative statements on behalf of the Opposition, cannot have it both ways. He wants to add £4,800 million to defence expenditure, as was stated by the Leader of the Opposition, who has explained to me why she cannot be here today, at the same time as he wants to cut Government expenditure.