§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he next plans to meet officials of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's London office to discuss the Gulf crisis and the question of occupied territories in Israel;
(2) what is his Department's current assessment of the position of the Palestine Liberation Organisation on the Gulf crisis;
(3) when he last met officials of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's London office; and what was discussed.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not himself held discussions with officials of the PLO's London office and has no plans to do so. Ministers are not at present meeting PLO representatives because of the PLO's equivocation over the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. This was a great mistake which has seriously damaged their cause.
But the PLO cannot be ignored and we remain in regular contact with it at official level on middle eastern issues.