§ Q5. Mr. A. Royleasked the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for Great Britain's treaty obligations to Brunei.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs.
§ Mr. RoyleWould the Prime Minister give an assurance that he will not abrogate or alter the defence agreement with Brunei without the acceptance of the Sultan and that the Government have no intention of breaking faith with the Sultan? Can he tell the House what talks have taken place so far on the future of the defence agreement with Brunei?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman will be aware that there are two Questions tabled to me by two of his hon. Friends on this subject for next week. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman waits until I answer those Questions.
§ Mr. RoyleOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if you could give me your guidance? I put down a Question to the Prime Minister which was accepted as being in order by the Table Office, and now the Prime Minister is not referring me to a Question which has been tabled in the past but to two Questions which are to be tabled in the future.
§ The Prime MinisterFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. The Question asked which Minister was responsible. I should have thought that that was presaging a question by the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend. Since that is not his intention, and he raised another matter, I have told the hon. Gentleman that there are two Questions tabled to me for next week and suggested that he might wait until I had answered those.
§ Mr. SpeakerWe cannot pursue this any further at this moment. We are wasting valuable Question time. Mr. Howell.