§ 7. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the ending of conscription in Great Britain and the reduction of manpower in the Soviet armed forces, he will reconsider proposals for some form of disengagement in Europe.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydI dealt with this matter at length during the foreign affairs debate on 10th and 11th February and I have nothing to add to what I then said.
§ Mr. AllaunIn view of the smaller armies in Britain and in Russia, would not a withdrawal of forces have mutual advantages and, therefore, be a likely subject for agreement?
§ Mr. LloydWe have debated the theory of disengagement on many occasions. To draw the forces of the Great Powers apart and to leave only the small countries in the middle would, I think, add to insecurity and not to security. I developed that point in the debate to which I referred. I think that the best approach to this matter is under the heading of anti-surprise attack measures. That is the way in which we hoped to approach it at the Ten-Power Disarmament Conference, and we are sorry that that Conference has been suspended.
§ Mr. HealeyI understood the Foreign Secretary to say, in the debate to which he has referred, that Her Majesty's Government had certain proposals in relation to the prevention of surprise attack. Is it the intention to put 1053 these proposals forward, either through diplomatic channels or otherwise, to the Soviet Union and its allies?