§ Q8. Mr. Martenasked the Prime Minister what response he has had from the United Kingdom's Western allies to his suggestion that they should share the cost of the United Kingdom defence burden.
§ The Prime MinisterOur allies are fully aware of our anxieties on this score and, among other things, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Council is now examining possible terms of reference for a study of the relative effect on the economies of member countries of their defence expenditure.
§ Mr. MartenI am grateful for that reply, but can the Prime Minister say whether any positive approach has been made by the Government to our European friends about the problem? Secondly, would he not agree that their reluctance so far to join in supporting our defence costs shows how very inward looking they are in some ways?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that the hon. Gentleman will probably have seen the speech made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the N.A.T.O. Ministerial Council. That was a very positive and direct way of raising 398 the question. On the second question, I would expect my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence to be discussing the whole subject with at any rate one of our N.A.T.O. allies, and we shall have to see what is the attitude of our other allies as a result of the statement to which I have referred.
§ Mr. HoosonIs it not correct that none of our Western allies is prepared to make a contribution towards the cost of British activity east of Suez?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is a fact that our N.A.T.O. allies, with the exception of the United States and to some extent Canada, are themselves not making any contribution directly, and certainly not any contribution to us. In the statements that we have made there and here, we have followed our predecessors in this matter. We have drawn attention to the fact that in addition to the cost of our contribution to N.A.T.O. we have very heavy costs which are borne in the common interest east of Suez as well as in the European area.
§ Mr. SnowDid my right hon. Friend request his associate Minister on the Western European Union Committee of Ministers to see that the Western European Union is informed of this, since no Parliamentarian attached to Western European Union seems to be conscious of or prepared to face this issue?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a useful suggestion. I will see that is done and I will see that any information, particularly on comparative costs and figures of the respective burdens of members of W.E.U. is made available to hon. Members in all parts of the House when they next attend a W.E.U. meeting.