§ Q8. Mr. David Steelasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that recent major crises in the Commonwealth have involved British foreign policy as a whole, he will reconsider his earlier decision about the merger of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office into one Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
§ Mr. George BrownI have been asked to reply.
No, Sir.
§ Mr. SteelDoes not the First Secretary think that to implement this proposal would not merely bring us into line with all other Commonwealth countries, but 233 would lead to the more efficient implementation of foreign policy and to considerable savings?
§ Mr. BrownI do not think so. At the moment we are making progress in co-ordinating the work of the Departments. We have a unified secretariat. I think that the way it is going is the right sort of pace.
§ Sir G. de FreitasSince the two external services are now to be combined into one service, is it not even more important that there should be one Minister here to deal with the relations of the 21 different countries, many very young and all looking to us for guidance?