§ Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the number of countries which have ratified the strategic arms limitation treaty II.
§ Mr. RidleySALT II is a bilateral agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. Neither party has yet ratified the treaty.
§ Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will seek to ensure that the United Kingdom's policy on the need to ratify speedily the strategic arms limitation treaty II is made known to all sections of opinion in the United States of America.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Government's support for SALT IIratification has been made known in the United States, most recently during the Prime Minister's Washington visit in December. Since then, following the invasion of Afghanistan, President Carter has deferred the ratification process. We understand his reasons for doing so.