§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make representations to the Soviet Union regarding (a) the jamming of western Russian language broadcasts and (b) the arrests of 41 members of the Helsinki monitoring group; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if his Department has taken any steps to persuade the Soviet Union to allow gift parcels to be sent to relatives and friends in the Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonAll these issues are of great concern to us, and have been raised with the Soviet authorities bilaterally and in the CSCE framework. The United Kingdom tabled a proposal on interference with postal communications at the Berne experts meeting on human contacts earlier this year. At the Vienna CSCE follow-up meeting, now under way, our delegation has already raised in debate Soviet jamming of BBC broadcasts and the imprisonment of Helsinki monitoring groups. We will be arranging for copies of major speeches by our CSCE delegation to be deposited in the Library.
§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Soviet Foreign Minister Mr. Shevardnadze; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonMy right hon. and learned Friend met Mr. Shervardnadze on 4 November in Vienna. They had a full discussion of the way forward in arms control after the Reykjavik meeting. My right hon. and learned Friend also raised human rights and contacts and urged the Soviet Union to take a responsible attitude to terrorism.