Mr. Colin Jacksonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to secure the release of the ships stranded in the Suez Canal; what is the present obstacle to progress; and what consideration he has given to seeking United Nations technical advice in determining the most suitable exit route for the trapped ships, failing a solution in the near future.
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§ Mr. M. StewartAs regards the first and second parts of the Question, I have nothing 1:0 add to what my right hon. Friend the Minister of State said in the Adjournment Debate on 17th June and to my reply earlier today to the hon. Gentlemen the Members for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro), Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) and Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell).
As for the third part of the Question, the difficulties surrounding the release of the stranded ships arise primarily from political considerations rather than from a lack of technical advice.—[Vol. 766, c. 878–882.]