On 14 November 1955, Lord Reading, British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, issues a note on the first Interim Report of the Working Party set up to examine what further action should be taken to safeguard the free flow of oil supplies from the Middle East. The memorandum from the Middle East Oil Committee emphasises the danger of the Soviet diplomatic offensive in the region. The document particularly outlines the economic measures that would be likely to counter the Soviet influence in the Middle East and ensure the defence of the United Kingdom’s strategic oil interests.