§ 30. Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of British Armed 1815 Services personnel stationed in the British island bases in the Indian Ocean.
§ Mr. HealeyThere are no British island bases in the Indian Ocean. There are about 780 British armed Services personnel stationed at the Royal Air Force staging posts at Gan and Masirah; and about 220 at the Naval shore wireless station at Mauritius.
§ Mr. WainwrightWill the Minister tell the House what proposals the Government have for reducing these numbers to figures consonant with these being staging posts only?
§ Mr. HealeyWith respect, if the hon. Gentleman really thinks that it is possible to run a staging post for a variety of sophisticated modern aircraft on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with less than 780 British armed Services personnel, I should be very grateful to receive his advice.