HC Deb 15 June 1967 vol 748 cc767-70
Q1. Mr. Marten

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied that Great Britain has the civil and military resources to maintain the Government's policy of a world-wide defence rôle; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)

The Government's views on these matters have been reported to the House on a number of occasions and I have as yet no further statement to make.

Mr. Marten

Would the Prime Minister say whether the Government's policy is to decide on the level of forces first and then fit our world obligations into that, or to decide, as he should, on our world obligations first and then fit our forces to suit that?

The Prime Minister

I think the hon. Gentleman will probably wish to wait until we are in a position to make a statement. As he knows, we are in the course of discussing this very important question, both force levels and commitments, with the Prime Minister of Australia, and I think it would be better to wait until those and similar talks are over.

Mr. Rose

In view of our military impotence in the recent crisis in the Middle East and Rhodesia, would not my right hon. Friend agree that it is high time we dropped this expensive fiction of a world rôle and concentrated on the transition into the economies of those countries which will be affected?

The Prime Minister

I cannot accept my hon. Friend's opening premise. In Rhodesia, as has been frequently said, we considered that the use of military force would have been the wrong way of dealing with the situation that arose. In the Middle East we were not at war.

Mr. Longden

Why is it that the rest of the free world appears to think it is normal practice to leave it to the United States and the United Kingdom to police the rest of the world outside the North Atlantic Treaty territories? Cannot Her Majesty's Government make more effective efforts to bring home their responsibilities to our Continental allies?

The Prime Minister

There is good point in the last few words, but I do not think the rest of the world harbours the views attributed to it by the hon. Gentleman. We have Commonwealth commitments as well as those others which he has in mind.

Mr. Mayhew

When the Prime Minister considers the future level of defence expenditure, will he bear in mind his statement that one of the functions of our military presence in the Far East in the 1970s and 1980s will be to prevent an eye-ball to eye-ball confrontation of Communist China and the United States of America? Will provision for that task be made in the Service Estimates?

The Prime Minister

This is part of our general policy, as was explained in my hon. Friend's hearing last June. I do not think it is a matter that can be quantified in Service Estimates.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Would the right hon. Gentleman recollect that we have been waiting for some time for a statement on the Government's intentions in the Far East? He has talked to President Johnson and he is now talking to the Prime Minister of Australia. Would not this be the right time, after finishing talks with the Prime Minister of Australia, to make a statement?

The Prime Minister

I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman, who occupied the high office of Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, would agree that it is also important to talk to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, who is coming later this month, and the Prime Minister of Singapore.

Mr. Rankin

Would my right hon. Friend make clear that the Government had no intention of pursuing a worldwide rôle, and, indeed, are prepared to restrict it east of Suez?

The Prime Minister

I have made clear on a number of occasions that the commitments which we enter into and our ability to meet them will be limited to what is economically feasible in terms of the monetary and real resources of this country. This is the task we are engaged on. I think we must be allowed time to complete discussions with our allies and Commonwealth partners concerned.

Mr. Sandys

Since future developments in the Far East are unpredictable, can the Prime Minister assure us that it is not his intention to announce a decision to close the Singapore base after a number of years irrespective of the situation that may exist at that time?

The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman had better await my statement in the House. He has now learned the doctrine of unpredictability. It is a pity that he did not believe it when making some of the obligations with which he got us tied up when he was in Government.