§ Mr. McMahonasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the withdrawal of sanctions by the United States Government against British companies involved in the construction of supplies for the Soviet pipeline.
§ The Prime MinisterWe warmly welcome President Reagan's decision to lift in their entirety the United States oil and gas measures of last December and June. This will free our companies and their work forces, especially John Brown Engineering, from the heavy penalties they were incurring simply through striving to fulfil their existing contracts. We also welcome the successful conclusion to the Washington discussions on East-West economic relations. We believe that it is fully consistent with Britain's interests for Western nations to formulate a common approach to their economic relations with the East. This has been one of our major policy objectives during the summer. We shall play an active part in the studies on East-West economic relations which we have all agreed to undertake and to which Her Majesty's Government are wholeheartedly committed.