§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the mineral resources of the archipelago of Spitsbergen; and what encouragement he is giving to British nationals to explore and exploit them.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNone, but the National Environment Research Council is supporting basic research into the structure and geology of Spitsbergen and the adjacent area of the Barents Sea. No special encouragement has been given.