2. Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 298W Affairs whether he will take the initiative in seeking to widen the geographical scope of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's field of responsibility so as to include the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, with a view to renegotiating the Simonstown Agreement.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI have much sympathy with the thinking which underlies my noble Friend's question. However, I do not think that this would be the right moment to propose the amendment to the North Atlantic Treaty which would be required.