§ 2.43 p.m.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a decision has now been reached on the request of the Cuban Government for a replacement of the 17 Sea Furies sold to General Batista by an equal number of Hunter jet fighters.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)My Lords, as noble Lords are aware, Her Majesty's Government, in common with other Western arms supplying countries, have for some time been restricting arms sales to the Caribbean countries because of the state of tension in that area. In the opinion of Her Majesty's Government these tensions have not yet sufficiently diminished to warrant a change of policy. When, as we hope, the situation improves, we will gladly reconsider the matter.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, will the noble Marquess, in reconsidering the matter, bear in mind that this is not an extension but a replacement of arms, and by a weapon which can be used only for defensive purposes; and that in the interests of our general relationship and trade with Cuba it is desirable that some decision should be reached in the matter before very long?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I will only say to the noble Lord that it was perfectly clear to Her Majesty's Government, when the request was made by the Cuba Government, that it was for an exchange. However, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, the supply of jet aircraft at the present time would introduce a new factor into a still very delicate situation. As regards the question of trade, I think it is only right that I should point out that, despite the fact that we have not been supplying arms to Cuba, our trade has in fact increased quite considerably.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, while I accept 1084 entirely the principle the Minister has put forward, may I ask him whether the decision Her Majesty's Government are taking in this matter is in accord with all the other members of the N.A.T.O. Alliance? Are all the other members of the N.A.T.O. Alliance taking an exactly similar view in regard to Cuba?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, it is not possible for us to have an exact agreement with anybody on this matter. What we are trying to do is to set a good example which, as the noble Viscount is well aware, is being followed by many of the Western arms-supplying countries, as I have already said. One cannot do more than that. We hope the example which we are setting will be followed by others.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, in view of the threatened events that we know of in other South American countries, can we be sure that the Government have not made the decision after special recommendations to them by Washington?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNENo, my Lords. We did, in fact, reach the same decision as the United States reached, but quite independently of the United States.