§ 12. Mr. Stan Thorneasked the Lord Privy Seal whether any meetings are planned with Egyptian leaders.
§ Mr. HurdAs I said earlier, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has invited President Mubarak of Egypt to visit Britain on 6–7 February.
§ Mr. ThorneWill the Minister say whether this is a preliminary to a conference in which Britain takes an initiative on the Middle East, or is the position that we have lost any influence that we had in that area?
§ Mr. HurdNo, Sir. I should have thought that recent events have shown that we have a very clear influence. We want to keep in close touch with the Egyptian Government, who have a crucial part to play. Therefore, it is very good news that the President of Egypt is coming here this weekend.