HC Deb 26 July 1978 vol 954 cc1546-7
13. Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has had to the representations made to the Government of the USSR about the recent trials of Soviet supporters of the Helsinki agreement.

Mr. Luard

The Soviet authorities have not made any response to the British Government on this subject.

Mr. Warren

In view of that reply, by which I am not surprised, will not the Foreign Secretary call in the Soviet Ambassador and reaffirm the very strong feelings of the British people about these shameful trials in Russia? Also, will he be prepared to take actions in the form of trade sanctions against the Russian Government so that they understand how strongly we feel?

Mr. Luard

At a recent meeting with Mr. Gromyko, my right hon. Friend took the opportunity to express the very strong feelings that are held in this country about violations of human rights in the Soviet Union. In addition to that, as I think the House knows, a number of steps have been taken since the trials of Mr. Shcharansky and Mr. Ginzburg—the cutting off of a number of visits, the cancellation of a visit by a helicopter team to the Soviet Union, the postponement of a visit of officers to the Gagarin Academy in the Soviet Union, and a number of very strong statements by my right hon. Friend and by the Prime Minister.

Mr. Heffer

Is my hon. Friend aware that 178 Labour Back-Benchers signed a letter to the Soviet Ambassador regarding Shcharansky and Ginzburg? Is he also aware that the national executive committee of the Labour Party has also made its position absolutely clear? However, would not my hon. Friend agree with me that in this matter we must keep a very clear balance, and that some people are trying to use the situation to go overboard and so make relationships with the Soviet Union difficult and lead us into a cold war atmosphere? Does my hon. Friend agree that, while we must fight for human rights in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, we do not at the same time have to get into a cold war situation?

Mr. Luard

I fully agree with my hon. Friend. I welcome the fact that 178 Labour Members of this House signed that letter and took steps to deliver it personally to the Soviet Ambassador. I hope that the Soviet Government have taken careful notice of it. But I agree that it is important that while we should make no secret of our very strong feelings on the subject, we should not take steps that are likely, over the long term, to damage our relations, so that, for example, negotiations over disarmament and other matters are affected, and, above all, we should not cut off the contacts that it has always been our policy to intensify.