HC Deb 26 April 1983 vol 41 cc296-7W
Mr. Murphy

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the principal achievements of Her Majesty's Government within his Department's responsibilities since May 1979.

Mr. Pym

This Government set out to restore confidence in Britain as a country determined to play a full part with its partners and allies in shaping world events. This objective has been fully achieved. Britian's international reputation stands high. Our relations with a wide range of countries in the Commonwealth, the Community, NATO and elsewhere are in excellent repair.

We have played a major part in maintaining the strength and cohesion of the Western alliance, while working tirelessly for balanced and verifiable reductions of both conventional and nuclear armaments. In particular, we have played an active part in the formulation of radical proposals in the separate Geneva talks on strategic and intermediate range nuclear forces.

In the European Community, we have restored our influence by convincing our partners of our commitment, while sustaining our own national interests. We have negotiated budget refunds of over £2 billion, concluded a common fisheries policy on terms good for Britain and strengthened and extended political co-operation.

We have played an active and responsible role in the maintenance of international stability. We have given full support to realistic efforts to resolve the Arab/Israel dispute. The Venice declaration of 1980 was an influential statement of European views; we played an important part, and have continued to do so. British forces are contributing to regional stability through our contingents in the multinational forces in Sinai and Lebanon. We have worked constructively for solutions to other conflicts, including in Namibia, Afghanistan, and Cyprus.

We have worked to strengthen the Commonwealth. Our substantial aid programme has provided reliable help where it is most needed, both to Commonwealth and other developing countries, and we have played an active part in efforts to strengthen the international financial system.

We have helped six dependent territories to reach independence. In particular, we brought 15 years of illegality and bloody civil war to an end through the creation of an independent Zimbabwe.

We have maintained our commitments to our other dependent territories. Following Argentina's unprovoked invasion of the Falkland islands, British administration was quickly restored through a highly successful political and military operation.