§ 67. Mr. Russellasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence if he will instruct our representative in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to call for information in regard to the number of occasions in which unidentified submarines have been sighted oft the coasts of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries recently; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence (Mr. Nigel Birch)No, Sir. There are satisfactory arrangements for the exchange of intelligence information in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but it would not be in the public interest to make any statement on matters of this kind.
§ Mr. RussellIs my hon. Friend aware that there have been many reports recently of unidentified submarines in these areas, and that this naturally causes a great deal of anxiety? Can he say anything to allay the anxiety on this score?