§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will increase the strength of the Royal Navy in the Indian Ocean.
§ Mr. SpeedAs I announced on 25 March in reply to a question from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Colchester (Mr. Buck)—[Vol. 981, Col.550]—a Royal Navy task group will deploy through the Indian Ocean to the Far East from May to December. On the outward and return legs of this deployment 414W the group is expected to spend a total of some nine weeks in the Indian Ocean area. We have no current plans permanently to station ships in the area.