asked the Prime Minister whether he will propose to the Prime Ministers of the other Commonwealth countries that a joint Commonwealth committee of scientists and other experts should be set up to prepare a detailed draft plan for a disarmament treaty, based on the principles adopted by the Commonwealth Conference on 19th March, 1961.

The United States disarmament plan calls for various expert groups to be set up under the International Disarmament Organisation. I think it will be best to continue to give our support to that plan, which follows the lines of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' statement on disarmament of March last.

Would it not help the international committee if a Commonwealth committee were set up to put forward practical detailed plans as to how the principles can be carried out?

I will, of course, consider that, but I think that as we have this plan under consideration, the best thing is to support it and get the expert groups under it.

Might I put it to the Prime Minister that it is now eight months since the Commonwealth declaration was made and that after the most assiduous questioning of him and other Ministers I cannot find out that the Government are doing anything in the way of practical preparation?

The practical and very satisfactory thing is that the United States disarmament plan follows so closely the principles of the Commonwealth statement.