HC Deb 02 July 1973 vol 859 cc43-5W
Mr. Clinton Davis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement concerning the adjourned debate at the Security Council of the United Nations on the Government's attitude concerning the interpretation of Resolution 242 of 22nd November 1967 and, in particular, as to how this differs from the interpretation placed upon the resolution by the previous Government;

(2) if the Government maintain their previously declared policy concerning Israel and the Arab States that withdrawal from territories by the Israeli Government must be preceded by negotiations, direct or indirect, between the parties to the dispute;

(3) if he will undertake that the United Kingdom delegate to the United Nations Security Council will not propose or support any proposal for the establishment of any new machinery in the peace-making process as described in Resolution 242 and which is not agreed upon between the parties directly concerned;

(4) if he will give an instruction to the United Kingdom delegate at the Security Council concerning the adjourned debate on the Middle East to propose that the parties to the dispute affecting Resolution 242 should proceed to negotiations in order to seek agreement on the basis of that resolution and for the Secretary-General and his special representative to provide the parties with such assistance as may be appropriate;

(5) what is the policy of the Government concerning the proposal made initially by President Sadat of Egypt, accepted by the Israeli Government and now blocked by the Government of Egypt, that there should be an interim Israeli-Egyptian agreement whereby the Suez Canal would be reopened and Israeli forces would withdraw a certain distance from it.

Mr. Anthony Royle

The policy of Her Majesty's Government in the Middle East remains to do whatever they can to help towards a peaceful settlement on the basis of Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967. This policy governs our approach towards the present Security Council debate, which we hope will bring progress towards such a settlement. Our views on how Resolution 242 might be implemented and on other aspects of the Middle East problem remain as set out in my right hon. Friend's speech at Harrogate on 31st October 1970. We should be glad to see an interim arrangement on the Suez Canal provided that it were clearly linked to an overall settlement and acceptable to the parties.