§ Sir Frederic Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Soviet Government on the Western European Union report "China and European Security" Document 770, by the hon. Member for Torbay, adopted by the General Affairs Committee of Western European Union on 16th May 1978; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuardOn instructions from his Government, the Soviet chargé d'affaires made an oral statement to my right hon. and noble Friend on 12th May. He did not refer specifically to the report written by the hon. Member but said that the Soviet Government intercepted the draft recommendation to the Council of Ministers of the WEU on relations with China as a demonstration of collective hostility to the Soviet Union which could cause irreparable damage to international security.
The Government have made no formal reply to the Soviet demarche because we do not consider that recommendations by members of the WEU Assembly are an appropriate subject for inter-governmental discussion. These recommendations represent the views of the parliamentarians concerned and not necessarily those of their Governments.