§ 3.52 p.m.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to repeat a Statement which is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The Statement is as follows:
"No, sir. The final round of Tripartite Talks was held in London on Thursday and Friday of last week and the principals have transmitted their proposals to their Governments. A Statement will be made to the House at the earliest opportunity and I would ask the right honourable gentleman to await it."
That is the end of the Statement.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I most warmly thank the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, for that illuminating Statement. Could he give us any indication of what "the earliest opportunity" will be at which he will make a Statement? Will it be very soon, or soon, or fairly soon?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I must apologise that my Statement was not sufficiently illuminating. As to whether the Statement will be soon, fairly soon, 725 very soon, or a little later, I must ask the noble Lord to await the Statement, and then I shall have great pleasure in repeating it in this House.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, could the noble Lord let us know whether it is likely to be before Whitsun?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I am afraid that I am not entirely my own master in this affair. I must await the Statement to which my right honourable friend has referred. I really cannot say whether the Statement will be made before Whitsun, but I should expect that it might be.