HL Deb 21 April 1970 vol 309 cc614-5
LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will indicate to the Government of Western Germany their appreciation of the talks with the Government of East Germany at Erfürt, and their hope that at the resumed discussions at Kassel on May 21 agreements may be reached preparing conditions for the convocation of a conference on European security.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)

My Lords, as I said in your Lordships' House on March 9, we fully support the constructive efforts which Herr Brandt's Government is making to improve relations with his Eastern neighbours. Progress in these talks would obviously improve the chances of negotiations on the wider aspects of European security.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that Answer, may I ask whether he remembers that in an earlier Answer on this issue he indicated that the difficulty was the restriction of the Russian agenda for a European security conference? Also, may I ask him whether Her Majesty's Government have suggested any agenda, and might it not be possible to have a series of conferences with an expanding agenda?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course this and many other ideas on a European security conference are useful. But it is not only the restrictive agenda that is the problem in getting a European security conference. I think it wise to say that a specific formal conference is not the only way of solving this problem: it may be that there are other possi-bilities. We are examining these, and, I think I should also say, examining them in the context of our obligations to our Western allies. We are examining them in NATO, and we have examined the sort of things which might usefully be dis-cussed at such a conference. I shall certainly bear in mind what my noble friend has said.

LORD BROCKWAY

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend again, may I ask whether he is aware that millions of people in this country are seeking a breakthrough for peace between East and West? Will Her Majesty's Government do their utmost to secure negotiations through a conference of this kind, which may lead to an end of the conflict in Europe that is so devastating mankind?

LORD CHALFONT

My Lords, of course Her Majesty's Government are anxious to see an end to this conflict, this confrontation, between East and West in Europe. But I think my noble friend will be wise to remember—as I am sure most of your Lordships will—that, as I said in your Lordships' House on an earlier occasion, a conference that failed would be worse than no conference at all. There may be many other ways of solving these problems. A conference is one of them, and we shall continue to explore the possibilities.