§ Sir Frederic Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed sales of defence equipment by France to the Chinese People's Republic in so far as it affects the interests of the Western European Union.
§ Mr. Tomlinson:A stable and secure China should be a factor for peace, and this is in the interests of the West including members of the Western European Union. My right hon. Friend cannot comment on hypothetical questions about the sale of particular items by individual countries: but France as a member of COCOM shares the interests and responsibilities of all COCOM members.