§ 2.56 p.m.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy 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 report on the progress of the Vienna discussions on mutual reduction of arms in Central Europe, particularly in relation to President Brezhnev's proposals to reduce Soviet troops and tanks.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, after three Questions, I am beginning to wonder whether it is not my 70th birthday. President Brezhnev's intention to withdraw a limited number of Soviet troops and tanks from the German Democratic Republic is an indication that the Russians may now be willing to negotiate seriously for an MBFR agreement. But the 76 main obstacle to progress remains disagreement about the existing level of Warsaw Pact forces in Central Europe.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, while welcoming the fact that the Government recognise the seriousness of these proposals, may I ask whether they go some way to meeting the West's demands at Vienna, and cannot they, perhaps with some expansion, be made the basis for negotiation on an agreement? May I also ask the noble Lord this question: Could they not be followed by negotiation to contain the SS.20 missile and the Backfire bomber of the Soviet Union, and so avoid confrontation by the staging all over Europe of the cruise missiles, with their 572 warheads?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, perhaps I may refer to the question of the SS.20 missile, because President Brezhnev referred to that in his speech. There was an offer, as we understand it, to move a certain number of SS.20 missiles back to new sites East of the Urals. The offer was, I think, linked with our agreement not to proceed with modernisation of the tactical nuclear forces, which is a matter very much under consideration at the moment. But, furthermore, we have to consider whether moving these missiles to the new sites proposed will greatly decrease their effectiveness. We think not. As to the significance of the announcement generally, President Brezhnev did not link the intended unilateral withdrawal of Soviet troops and tanks from the GDR with the MBFR negotiations. We look forward to receiving further clarification from the Soviet Union as to how this announcement may relate to the Vienna negotiations, and to the agreed objective of establishing parity in military manpower in Central Europe.
§ Lord AVEBURYMy Lords, has the Soviet Union made any offer to withdraw its troops which are at present stationed in Czechoslovakia, where they prop up a régime which imprisons its citizens for exercising their right of freedom of speech?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, no such offer was included in President Brezhnev's recent speech.