HL Deb 16 June 1980 vol 410 cc819-20
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 the State Department of the USA informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as required by the Anglo-American agreements of 1966, of its intention to send a task force of seven naval ships, carrying tanks, troop-carriers and other military equipment, to the base at Diego Garcia.

The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)

My Lords, the United States has a long-term programme for strengthening its military capability in the Indian Ocean area. This programme includes the pre-positioning of equipment to be available for use by forces deployed rapidly to the region in an emergency. At Diego Garcia such equipment will be held in converted merchant ships which will periodically be rotated within the Indian Ocean area. They do not constitute a naval task force. Her Majesty's Government were fully consulted over the proposal to send these ships to Diego Garcia in accordance with the provisions of the 1976 exchange of notes.

Lord BROCKWAY

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether it is not the case that the 1966 agreement required that this Government should agree to other than modest routine military movements? Was this not much greater than that? If the British Government had previous consultation, did they agree to an action which was not in conformity with the policy both of this Government and of our European allies against military threats and intervention?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right. The 1976 agreement provides for consultation between the two Governments over use of facility in other than normal circumstances.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, may I ask the Foreign Secretary whether the decision referred to in the Question was taken by NATO? Does this mean that NATO has now changed direction, not confining itself to the situation in Europe but taking a rather global view of the situation?

Lord CARRINGTON

No, my Lords; this is a decision taken by the United States.

Lord SHINWELL

My Lords, does that mean that it has not been supported by NATO?

Lord CARRINGTON

My Lords, the decision was taken by the United States. I hope that the NATO allies will support it.

Lord BROCKWAY

My Lords, the Minister has not answered my question. I asked whether there was previous consultation and agreement before the American movement. Was this action not in contravention both of the United Kingdom policy and European policy against military threats and intervention?

Lord CARRINGTON

No, my Lords. This was done with the agreement of the British Government.

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