§ 44. Mr. Zilliacusasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the statement in the Defence White Paper about the continuing military threat of Communism, he will instruct the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence to publish a joint statement explaining the nature and extent of this alleged threat in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, respectively.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. The military threat to which the hon. Member refers has been made amply clear by the Communist leaders themselves.
§ Mr. ZilliacusIs not the Prime Minister aware that a growing number, if not the majority, of the people of this country by this time agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Bevan) that Communism is a social challenge and not a military threat, and that the Soviet Union does not want war? Further, does he not think that some corroborative detail is necessary to support the assertion that all the tremendous defence burden is really necessary?
§ The Prime MinisterAs an aphorism I think that the right hon. Gentleman's statement had a great deal of truth in it, but it was not, and I think he would not himself claim that it was, the whole truth. We have all, with general agreement, built the defences of the North Atlantic Alliance and I think, broadly speaking, that throughout the House and the country it is felt that this policy has been justified and that it would be wrong to relinquish it.