HC Deb 13 June 1945 vol 411 cc1662-3W
Mr. I. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make on the progress of the San Francisco Conference.

Mr. Law

During the past few weeks the Dumbarton Oaks proposals have been discussed in detail by the appropriate Committees of the Conference and a substantial measure of agreement has been reached. As hon. Members will have seen from the Press, the difference of opinion which arose between the delegations of the sponsoring Powers on the interpretation of the Crimea formula for voting in the Security Council has now been satisfactorily settled, and it is hoped that general agreement will soon be reached on this important issue. Other fundamental questions on which a large measure of agreement has been achieved include territorial trusteeship and the relation to the main Organisation of regional agencies and arrangements between groups of States.

The work done in Committees of the Conference is about to be reviewed by their supervising Commissions preparatory to seeking final approval by the full Conference. I cannot, of course, foretell when the Conference will have finished its labours, but, barring accidents, it seems likely that the Charter will be ready within the next two or three weeks.