Washington, DC (Hansard, 26 July 1978)

§ 1. Mr. Ridley
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans next to visit Washington, DC.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign acid Commonwealth Office (Mr. Frank Judd)
My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Washington in the near future.

§ Mr. Ridley
Will the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to reinstate the chief information officer in the embassy in America? The grounds that he was sacked upon, that he had not peddled Labour Party propaganda, are totally 1531 unacceptable to all right-thinking people. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that we would rather have Mr. O'Keefe than Dr. Goebbels?

§ Mr. Judd
The hon. Gentleman is singularly ill informed on this matter. The official to whom he refers was in no way sacked. As often happens with overseas appointments, Mr. O'Keefe was asked to move before the time that he anticipated being moved. That frequently happens in the course of diplomatic service.

§ Mr. MacFarquhar
When my right hon. Friend visits Washington, will he take steps to confirm with President Carter that the American Administration has no objection to the sale of defensive weapons by the United Kingdom to China? Will he tell the President then and this House now which weapons Her Majesty's Government are prepared to sell to China?

§ Mr. Judd
I am sure that my hon. Friend will appreciate that this is neither the time nor the place to go into the detail that he raises. The issue of policy in general terms is one that we keep constantly under review.

§ Mr. Hurd
The Minister has not met the main point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley). Proposals to make economies in the British information services are one thing and the widely reported proposals to impose political censorship on press bulletins are another. Will the hon. Gentleman give a categorical denial that that is intended?

§ Mr. Judd
I am afraid that on this issue the hon. Gentleman is, uncharacteristically, as ill-informed as his hon. Friend the Member for Circencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley).

§ Mr. Hurd
It is in the newspapers.

§ Mr. Judd
With great respect, it is not always wise to believe everything that we read in the press. The officer concerned was in no way sacked. Secondly, there is no question of censorship. In the course of an inspection by Foreign Office inspectors as long ago as last year, it was recommended by them that something should be done on this front.

§ Mr. Ridley
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's replies, 1532 I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.