§ 8. Mr. Shinwellasked the Minister of Defence whether the decision of the West German Government to raise an army of 5 million men has been made known to Her Majesty's Government; and whether there was any consultation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation before the decision was reached.
§ Sir W. MoncktonHer Majesty's Government know of no such decision by the West German Government; the second part of the Question does not therefore arise.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman not aware that the legal adviser to the Bonn Government recently made a statement, which appeared in one of the American newspapers, that their intention was to raise an army of 5 million men? Does he not read the newspapers?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI spend far too much time reading the newspapers. I did observe that people are made liable to be called up for military service in very large numbers if the Act were enforced for all of them, but I am sure that the German Government neither would nor could call them all up at once.