HC Deb 07 December 1960 vol 631 cc1249-51
20. Sir L. Plummer

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the proposed duration of training in Portugal of the cadets from Sandhurst who will shortly be leaving for this purpose.

Mr. Profumo

Three hundred and eighty officer cadets of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst carried out field training in Portugal from 25th November to 2nd December.

Sir L. Plummer

Recognising that Portugal is our oldest Fascist ally—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—admittedly a Fascist ally—and the fact that she does not recognise the Declaration of Human Rights, what possible advantage can there be for young gentlemen from Sandhurst to be trained in Portugal? What lessons have the Portuguese to teach the British Army except the art of running away?

Mr. Profumo

I shall try to address myself to the genuine side of that supplementary question. [Hon. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Part of the question was giving information. I would remind the hon. Member that Portugal is not only a loyal ally, but a member of N.A.T.O., and it is in the best interests of that alliance that soldiers should train together who might unfortunately one day have to fight side by side.

Mr. Strachey

Is the right hon. Gentleman telling the House that the Portuguese Army has anything to teach the British Army? Is not Portugal a very eccentric place to send cadets to train?

Mr. Profumo

The right hon. Gentleman must have misunderstood me if he thinks that I said anything about learning from the Portuguese Army. The cadets went to Portugal because in our view and, I think, in that of the right hon. Gentleman, it is very wise to have varied field training. Portugal is, happily, close to us and provides the sort of terrain on which it is possible to hold the sort of exercises which took place. Of the ten days that the cadets were there, seven were spent in hard field training. The cadets gained a great deal of experience and I have no regrets about it at all.