§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with our NATO allies and Japan towards ex tending the list of high technology exports that may not be sold to the Soviet Union, and controlling the provision of cheap credits; and when it is expected to reach agreement on both these matters that conform with the requests of the United States following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, discussions with our allies on the tightening of controls on the export of sensitive technology to the Soviet Union are continuing. It is not possible to say how long these discussions will last. The Government are concerned that effective international agreement should be reached as quickly as possible. The 1975 British- Soviet credit agreement has not been renewed and business with the Soviet Union no longer enjoys the concessionary interest rates provided for in that agreement. Any further tightening of credit terms for the Soviet Union would need to follow international agreement if it were to be effective and British exporters were not to be put at a competitive disadvantage.
LORD CHELWOODMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer.
1026 May I ask whether he remembers that, before the general election, the present Secretary of State for Trade promised that a Conservative Government would carefully review the COCOM lists of exports to the Warsaw Pact countries on which there was a ban and said that he would try with our allies to bring to an end the free-for-all in the provision of cheap credits for the Soviet Union? Does not the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, followed by the American appeal to her allies to take urgent action in both these fields, emphasise the importance of doing just this, and is not the progress that has been made very disappointing, and even disturbing?
§ LORD TREFGARNENo, my Lords; I would not say that. There is certainly no such thing as a free-for-all, as my noble friend describes it, in interest rates in this matter; but we need to reach agreement by consensus, and that is what we are doing.
§ LORD HANKEYMy Lords, have the Government any indication, as I seem to have, that the Russians are even more deeply concerned about this question of the passage of high technology than they are about the Olympic Games?
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, the Olympic Games is another matter, but certainly it is true that the Russians rely very much upon technology provided from both Europe and the United States, and I have no doubt that they are feeling the draught just now.
§ LORD GLADWYNMy Lords, is this matter on the agenda of the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community?
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, I would have to find out and write to the noble Lord.