asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which European countries have not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and if he will make a statement.

Albania, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. We want to see the Treaty enter into force soon and on the widest possible basis, and we shall continue to do everything we can to persuade those States which have not yet signed to do so.

Does my right hon. Friend expect that now that there has been a change of Government in Germany the Federal Republic may take a different attitude towards this matter? If this occurred, does he think that it would be a lead to all other European countries?

Whatever Government there was in Germany, we have always made it clear that we hoped that Germany and others would sign the treaty. I believe that signature by Germany would be a most important step.