§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the manner in which payments were made by the United States Government to Her Majesty's Government in return for the use of Diego Garcia.
§ Mr. MasonAs I said in answer to the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) on 13th October, the United States Government agreed in 1966 to contribute half of the total cost, up to a limit of £5 million, of setting up the British Indian Ocean Territory by waiving to that extent research and development surcharges for the United Kingdom purchase of the Polaris missile system.—[Vol. 897, c. 640.]