HC Deb 25 January 1980 vol 977 cc394-5W
Mr. Churchill

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Her Majesty's Government had plans for any military visits or exchanges between the United Kingdom and the USSR; if he will list the nature and proposed dates of such visits; and if, in the light of this most recent example of Soviet aggression, he will reconsider the desirability of such exchanges.

Mr. Pym

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made on 24 January by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal. We have withdrawn a proposal for an exchange of delegations from the air force staff colleges of our two countries starting with a visit to Moscow by the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, in May; and we have rejected a Soviet proposal for an exchange of naval ship visits in 1980. These were the only proposals current for military visits or exchanges with the USSR.

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