HL Deb 03 July 1973 vol 344 cc153-5
LORD SHINWELL

My 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, in view of the close relationship between the United States Government and the United Kingdom Government, the latter were kept fully informed on the content and conclusion of the discussions between the Soviet and American leaders, including items not disclosed in the communique which may affect NATO and European security.

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government were fully informed by the United States Government about President Nixon's meetings with Mr. Brezhnev.

LORD SHINWELL

My Lords, surely the noble Baroness does not regard that as an accurate reply to the Question? Are we to understand that we have to rely on a communiqué, and is the assumption underlying her reply to my Question that the communiqué contains all that is necessary? Is she aware that Mr. Brezhnev, after leaving Washington, instead of coming to the United Kingdom proceeded to Paris, where he met M. Pompidou and where no doubt there were some other disclosures? Ought we not to be informed about these matters?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, we do have frequent meetings within NATO with the United States Government, and we also have bilateral discussions with our allies on defence matters; but as the noble Lord more than any, will appreciate, these are necessarily confidential.

LORD SHINWELL

My Lords, I am sorry, but the noble Baroness must be aware that, without knowing the nature of my supplementary question, she cannot get away with a reply to a Question which is based on a brief. As she probably knows, I am fully acquainted with this procedure, and will she now inform your Lordships' House, on a matter of the utmost importance affecting the security of our country and concerned with the whole of our foreign policy, why we have not been adequately informed about what transpired when Mr. Brezhnev met Mr. Nixon in the United States of America? More particularly, is the noble Baroness aware that this is necessary because of the Helsinki Security Conference, the other forthcoming Conference and other matters?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, the communiqué itself was very full; but the noble Lord's Question asked whether there were items not disclosed in the communique which might affect NATO and European security, and I said that we were fully consulted by the American Government. We have absolutely no reason to believe—which I think is implied in the noble Lord's Question—that the Americans would conclude a secret bilateral agreement with the Soviet Union without consultation with their NATO allies.