Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy 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 the freight rates for cargo shipping charged by the Soviet Union are consistent with détente; and, if not, whether Her Majesty's Government have already made representations at ministerial level.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, as the noble Baroness is aware from previous Answers on this subject, Her 353 Majesty's Government have received representations and are consulting interested parties both at home and abroad. The Russian authorities are aware of our concern, but no Ministerial representations have as yet been made.
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I presume that he is as interested in, and is as strong a supporter of, détente as I am? Does he agree with me that, from time to time, détente becomes a little shaky and would it now perhaps be a good idea if the noble Lord were to ask his right honourable friend Mr. Michael Foot to go to the Soviet Union to address them in the same terms as he addressed the Spaniards the other day?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I feel that we are wandering a little far from the kernel of the matter.