HC Deb 30 July 1974 vol 878 cc458-60
6. Mr. Blaker

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in what ways he expects Great Britain's continued membership of the European Communities to affect Great Britain's defence situation, in particular in relation to Western Europe.

Mr. Mason

The Treaty of Rome has no defence content and there is no discussion of defence matters in the framework of the European Communities. Her Majesty's Government attach great importance to European defence co-operation within the North Atlantic Alliance, and in particular to the work of the Eurogroup.

Mr. Blaker

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Atlantic Declaration which was signed last month by his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, along with his colleagues from the North Atlantic Alliance, declares that the further progress towards unity that the members of the EEC are determined to make could be beneficial for the defence of the North Atlantic Alliance as a whole? Will he study the document and draw it to the attention of all his colleagues?

Mr. Mason

No doubt all my hon. Friends who are following the negotiations within the EEC will have in mind the new document on the reformation of the Alliance and the transatlantic link.

Mr. Ronald Atkins

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the sharing of the defence burden among the Western community is very unequal? Further, will he bear in mind that the £400 million a year that it costs us to keep British troops in Germany, three-quarters of which adds to our serious imbalance of payments, cannot be compared with Germany's great surplus and the benefit that German and not British manufacturers derive from the British troops?

Mr. Mason

My hon. Friend is fully aware that one of our starting points for the review was the gross national product figures for Britain compared with the corresponding figures for the Western European countries, especially France and Germany. When we take into account the NATO statistics and when we consider them in terms of defence expenditure, it is apparent that we are spending more than other countries. That is one reason for the review. I must advise my hon. Friend that the central front happens to be the front of our nation too. We have to pay the price if we are to maintain stability in that area.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the closer we get with our European partners in the community on defence matters as well as on economic and foreign policies, the better it will be for the defence of Europe? It is not only the central front which is important to this country but also the northern front. What is the Secretary of State doing to strengthen that front?

Mr. Mason

I do not have to do any more at the moment to strengthen the northern front, but I will take into consideration what the hon. Gentleman says. No doubt he has played a part at Western European Union and the Council of Europe, and many of their papers, documents and presentations have been helpful to defence policy.

Mr. Molloy

Does my right hon. Friend agree that in our lifetime all these other countries of the EEC have owed a great debt of gratitude to the United Kingdom? Does he agree also that in this nuclear bomb-laden world the essential thing about all defence policy is that it must be assisted by intelligent foreign policy, because if foreign policy goes wrong and nuclear explosions take place there will be no more EEC or any other community but only dust? That must be the quintessence of all defence policy.

Mr. Mason

I agree that defence policy follows foreign policy. In our foriegn policy we have been trying to stress internationally that more countries should join the Non-Proliferation Treaty—the "NPT club". I am sorry that some have refused to do so and have recently exploded nuclear devices in the atmosphere. This has prompted much international concern.

Mr. Marten

If it is the fact that defence policy follows foreign policy, does not the right hon. Gentleman recall the rather weak attitude of the EEC during the Yom Kippur war? Did not that attitude nearly disrupt NATO at the time? Therefore, is not the Common Market slightly disruptive of peace? Should we not look at this matter through the eyes of NATO and not have anything to do with the Common Market?

Mr. Mason

That was a rather odd and circuitous route from the Yom Kippur war back to the Common Market. I thought that the strangest aspect of that period was the misunderstanding which took place between the United States and NATO.