asked the Lord Privy Seal, following the revolution in Iran and the occupation of Afghanistan by the USSR, what guarantees he has obtained from Governments of all the different countries in the Persian Gulf as to the continued freedom of passage of merchant ships of all nations through the Straits of Hormuz.

No specific guarantees have been offered or sought. The rules of international law clearly provide for the freedom of passage of ships of all nations through the Straits of Hormuz.