THE EARL OF SELKIRKasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any British defence forces are now declared to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation; whether there have ever been any troops declared to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation and if so, what were they, and for how long.
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMBritish forces have for some years been declared to SEATO for embodiment into various1328WA contingency plans. This form of declaration involves no automatic commitment to provide forces. It is not the practice to give detailed information about these plans. The present position, as announced in successive Defence White Papers, is that we are reducing our declarations to SEATO contingency plans as our forces are withdrawn from Singapore and Malaysia, and when we have completed the withdrawal we shall not declare forces to any of them, though we shall remain members of the Organisation.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past seven o'clock.