§ Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply on Tuesday 15 April 1980 to the hon. Member for Peterborough, if he will outline the nature of the consultations undertaken by his Department with the United States Government.
§ Sir Geoffrey Howe[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1980, c. 129]: Her Majesty's Government have been in consultation 455W with the United States Government about measures to support their efforts to secure the release of the hostages in Tehran. As my hon. Friend knows, following discussions with our Community colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 21/22 April, a communiqué was issued setting out the Community's decisions regarding Iran. A copy of the communiqué is available in the Library. It was the subject of a statement to the House by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 23 April.