HC Deb 02 June 1965 vol 713 cc1691-4
5. Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now make a statement on long-term defence commitments.

6. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in which overseas commands there will be economies in defence demands for foreign exchange; and what will be their extent.

21. Mr. Hamling

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now make a statement on the reduction of overseas defence commitments.

44. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what economies he expects to achieve by means of cutting down overseas commitments; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Denis Healey)

Our review of defence commitments is still in progress and I have nothing to add at present to what I said in the defence debate on 3rd March.

Mr. Marten

As the Government have been at this review for six months, may we be given some reason for the extraordinary length of time which it is apparently taking? May we be told when it is likely to be completed? Are we to await the outcome of Mr. McNamara's proposals on nuclear weapons? Can the Minister confirm that there is no delay due to differences of opinion in the Labour Party?

Mr. Healey

The reason for the time which has been taken so far is that, for the very first time, a British Government are making a really stringent and fundamental review of the cost, capability and commitments of all their forces, and this cannot be done quickly. The only experience which we have in the past of the sort of decision to which we have to move was the experience of the decisions taken with such precipitous haste by the right hon. Member for Streatham (Mr. Sandys), who was Minister of Defence in 1957, all of which were reversed within three years.

Mr. Hamling

Does not the Minister agree that one of the reasons for the delay in publishing the results of this review is the failure of the previous Administration to do anything about it? Does he not agree that this review will make our forces more efficient than they were before?

Mr. Healey

Yes, Sir. The main purpose of the review is to provide the taxpayer with value for the money he spends on defence.

Mr. Dempsey

In view of the need to relate military expenditure to our economic resources, will the Minister say how soon we are likely to have the statement? Is he aware, for example, that certain bases can easily be reduced and that others can be eliminated altogether? How soon will it be before we receive this report? Will it be before the Summer Recess?

Mr. Healey

The decisions taken under the defence review will, of course, be announced as they are taken. I hope that some will be announced before the Summer Recess. Others may take longer.

Mr. Soames

Will not the Minister agree that the major differences between this defence review and the many others which have taken place in recent years are, first, that this has been surrounded by a public relations exercise and, secondly, that it is taking an inordinately long time to come to fruition? When will the Minister announce it? Will he give an assurance that at least he will announce it before the next election?

Mr. Healey

I cannot speculate on the date of the next election. I think that I should be giving the right hon. Gentleman an uncomfortable time if I were to answer his question in the terms in which he put it. The House must understand that this review would have been unnecessary if the previous Government had done their job.

Sir T. Beamish

Which has the higher priority in the Minister's mind—the proper carrying out of our treaty obligations and the full defence of this country's legitimate interests, or the undoubted promise made to the Left wing of the Labour Party to reduce Defence Estimates by at least £250 million?

Mr. Healey

I will treat that question with more than the contempt which it deserves. The Government are determined to provide the men and women serving in their military forces with the tools of their job, something which was not achieved by the previous Government in spite of spending £20,000 million over 13 years.

Mr. Soames

Whatever the Minister may say from the Box, there is a firm impression that the reason the Government are taking so long on this review is that their coat tails are being hung on to by the Left wing of the Labour Party.

Mr. Manuel

How silly can you get?

Sir C. Osborne

Ask yourself.

Mr. Speaker

Order. In the interests of the House, I cannot tolerate the interchange of absurd insults from one side of the House to the other. We cannot get on with Questions unless hon. Members help me in this matter.

Mr. William Hamilton

On a point of order. May I point out that there have been three successive supplementary questions asked from the other side of the House?

Mr. Speaker

If the hon. Member thinks that that helps me, I remind him that I regard it as the responsibility exclusively of the Chair to decide who asks supplementary questions. Let us get on.