§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy towards economic assistance to the Soviet Union.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe believe that it is in the interest of all concerned that the process of economic reform in the Soviet Union should continue and be successful. We are strongly committed to helping this process by providing the Russians with the skills and expertise needed to take advantage of their country's enormous potential.
We welcome the decisions of the Dublin European Council and the G7 in Houston to commission an analysis of the Soviet Union's economic problems and of ways in which the west might help. This should provide the essential basis on which to take decisions about possible future assistance.