§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
§ Mr. BennI visited the Soviet Union from 17th-21st April at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers of the U.S.S.R., and Chairman of the State Committee of the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers for Science and Technology, Academician V. A. Kirillin.
The talks we had followed the discussions between Mr. Kosygin, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister last February. They centred around our mutual desire to achieve closer technological co-operation between the U.S.S.R. and the United Kingdom.
We identified three areas in which this co-operation might be developed first by the exchange of information namely technological research and development for the longer term, industrial technology, and long-term industrial development. The organisational framework needed for such a programme of collaboration was also discussed.
Mr. Kirillin and I agreed to make proposals to our respective Governments on how scientific and technological co-operation might be further developed.
During my stay in the Soviet Union I visited scientific and research organisations and industrial undertakings in Moscow and Kiev where I had talks with Soviet specialists on economic development, the organisation of management, computer technology, automation and other questions.
268WAltogether I found the visit a most useful one. Mr. Kirillin and I found that we were thinking on the same lines on the questions discussed and we greatly enjoyed our talks.