HL Deb 14 December 1987 vol 491 cc431-3

2.39 p.m.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have asked the USSR to support an arms embargo against Iran and to co-operate with the Gulf States and those nations with a naval presence in the Gulf to bring hostilities to an end.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, on 25th September the Soviet Foreign Minister joined the other permanent members of the Security Council in agreeing to start work on an arms embargo while the Secretary-General takes parallel action to try to obtain Iranian and Iraqi compliance with Resolution 598. We continue to press the Soviet Union to live up to this agreement. My right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary most recently raised this with Mr. Shevardnadze on 7th December.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that most encouraging reply. In so far as there seems now a new atmosphere between East and West—between Russia and the USA—would it not be a good thing for this Government of ours to approach both sides to try to hasten the endeavours that the Government are trying to bring about?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, if by "both sides" the noble Lord is referring to Iran and Iraq, who are involved in this unhappy conflict, I think the best way forward lies in all the world community supporting the activities of the United Nations Secretary-General. We shall certainly do that.

Lord Mellish

My Lords, even on the assumption that Russia were to co-operate with the West, what assurances are there that that fanatical crowd in Iran will stop fighting?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, one of the matters that we shall have to investigate is the attitude of Iran and the circumstances in which it might be willing to stop fighting. But if we were to accept the proposition of the noble Lord at its face value, then we should not make any efforts at all to bring this conflict to an end and that is certainly not our policy.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, the noble Lord said that the Resolution 598 was discussed at the meeting between Mr. Shevardnadze and Sir Geoffrey Howe on 7th December. Can he say what the result of that discussion was? Is he aware that he implied that Her Majesty's Government take the view that the USSR is taking no action whatsoever? Is that the case? If so, what pressure is being brought upon the USSR against the background of the new spirit of co-operation to comply with the resolution?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I am bound to say that we have been disappointed in the response of the Soviet Union in this matter of late. However, as the noble Lord says, there is a new spirit abroad, certainly between the super powers and we hope that the Soviet Union, as one of the five, will agree that we should now be seeking to take this matter forward. As we see it, there is now a need for the Security Council to move to enforcement measures.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, I am obliged to the Minister for that reply. Will he go a step further and say whether there is any co-operation whatsoever between the Armilla patrol and our four minesweepers with the Russian forces in the Gulf?

Lord Trefgarne

No, my Lords. The United Kingdom forces in the area operate in conjunction with other allied forces; that is to say, the United States, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. We do not operate in conjunction with the Soviet Union.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, in so far as the Soviet attitude is changing dramatically and the Soviet Union supported the UN resolutions, could it not be made clear to its leaders that the resolution which we, the United States and the Soviet Union all support, is also supported by Iraq?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the noble Lord has a point, but I think the way forward in this matter is to persuade all those who agreed to Resolution 598 in September to seek to have that resolution enforced. I do not believe the way to do that is by ringing declarations; it is by quiet, active diplomacy.