§ 37. Mr. Tilneyasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Great Britain's defence commitments to the State of Singapore.
§ Mr. HealeyOur commitments remain unchanged in practical terms, for we have already made clear our readiness to continue to help in defending Singapore and Malaysia against Indonesian aggression. In formal terms our obligation to Singapore was previously covered by the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, and there must be negotiations with the Singapore Government in due course to re-establish our defence relations on a formal basis.
§ Mr. TilneyCan the right hon. Gentleman state whether or not this will cost the British taxpayer considerably more?
§ Mr. HealeySince negotiations have not yet begun, I am unable to give any assurances on this, but it certainly would be the Government's intention not to be involved in any extra cost as a result of the renegotiation of the agreement.