§ 2. Mr. P. Noel-Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals have been made to the Committee of 18 Nations in Geneva for the agreed limitation of military expenditure pending the signature of the disarmament treaty.
§ The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Peter Thomas)In a Memorandum presented to the Geneva Disarmament Conference on 28th January, the Soviet Government proposed an agreement "to reduce the military budgets of States by 10 to 15 per cent." On 13th February the Brazilian delegation submitted a draft resolution which requested all Governments to make reductions in their military expenditure comparable to those recently made by the United States and the Soviet Union, and to devote not less than 20 per cent. 2 of the savings to a fund for the benefit of developing countries.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWill the Minister of State represent to his right hon. Friend that, even if these more ambitious proposals do not succeed, a simple freeze of expenditure would be much the most important preliminary or partial measure that could be adopted and the most likely to be carried through? Will he instruct the Committee of 18 Nations to prepare a resolution for the General Assembly to adopt a plan?
§ Mr. ThomasI do not think it is quite as simple as that. We would naturally be very happy to see military expenditure either frozen or reduced all round, but we think this should come from concrete measures of disarmament as part of an agreed programme providing for the comprehensive and balanced disarmament of all nations. The budgetary questions are very complex and we have proposed to the Geneva Conference that we should set up an expert study group to look into them.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWe shall be grateful if budgetary limitation is studied, but does the hon. Gentleman not agree that as a preliminary measure my suggestion would be very simple and important?
§ Mr. ThomasI agree that it is a matter well worth looking at, but, as a preliminary, we should go into the very complicated question of the study of the various budgets, and this we have proposed to the Geneva Conference.