§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the "reasons" and "elements" referred to in Mr. Rusk's letter of 6th April to Sir David Ormsby Gore, published in the Commons OFFICIAL REPORT for 25th April, where he writes:
The possibility has been discussed that for reasons beyond the control and decision of either Government one or more elements of the plan contained in the [Nassau] Statement, apart from the provision of Polaris missiles and support facilities, might prove incapable of fulfilment ",
and goes on to confirm that such an event would not release the United States from its undertaking to sell the Polaris missiles to Her Majesty's Government.]
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the Nassau statement was concerned not only with the provision of Polaris missiles to the United Kingdom, but with
the development of new and closer arrangements for the organisation and control of strategic Western defence ".These are the "elements" referred to. The phrase "reasons beyond the control or decision of either Government" was intended to cover circumstances which could not be foreseen and which therefore cannot be specified.