HC Deb 02 July 1974 vol 876 cc202-3
20. Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a further statement about the warning which he gave in Brussels on 13th June about reductions in British contributions to NATO.

Mr. Mason

At the recent NATO meetings in Brussels I explained to my ministerial colleagues, as I did to this House in the defence debate on 13th May, that the defence review which I have initiated is a serious and comprehensive one. I also made it clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there will be full consultation with our allies wherever their interests are involved.

Mr. Dixon

Will the right hon. Gentleman give consideration to the proposition that rather than try to persuade our European allies that we should reduce our percentage of the gross national product spent on defence to their level we might persuade them to increase to our level the percentage of their gross national product so applied?

Mr. Mason

The hon. Gentleman has a point which is well understood, but on absolute levels of spending the French and the Germans spend more than we do. In our present economic plight—this is understood absolutely and clearly in NATO circles—we cannot possibly afford to carry this heavy burden of defence expenditure. It is essential as quickly as possible to be able to divert some of the defence budget to industries that are export-led growth industries and to plough some of the money into investment in industry.

Mr. Peter Walker

It was reported from Brussels when the right hon. Gentleman held talks there that he was to give his conclusions by August and was to have further talks then, but reference has been made to the White Paper being ready in the autumn. Does the right hon. Gentleman feel that he will be entering again on consultations on his conclusions with the NATO countries before the White Paper is ready?

Mr. Mason

I shall try, on present timing, to talk to our NATO allies before the White Paper is published because I believe in genuine consultation and in trying to give two months' notice. Mr. Vredeling, the Dutch Minister, gave only four weeks' notice of his cuts and was embarrassed in the NATO Council. Therefore it is my aim to carry out genuine consultations; but only if the papers are prepared and Ministers see them before the House rises—and that is still in doubt—will I be able to carry out the timetable I have mentioned.