§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether this country has been approached to join the Franco-Belgian Alliance; and whether this country is still bound to defend the neutrality of Belgium under the new conditions brought about by this alliance?
Mr. HARMSWORTHNo invitation has been received from either the French or the Belgian Governments to join in the military agreement which has recently been concluded between those two countries, and the terms of which have not been communicated to us. Any obligations which may have been incurred by His Majesty's Government towards Belgium in the past cannot therefore be affected by any such arrangement.