HC Deb 06 December 1977 vol 940 cc1107-10
10. Mr. Blaker

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether British and NATO defence policy in Western Europe still relies on the doctrine of flexible response.

Mr. Wellbeloved

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Blaker

Do not the inadequate arrangements for reinforcing our troops on the Continent, as shown by the reports of the Expenditure Sub-Committee and the Ministry's observations on those reports, mean that we should have to resort to nuclear weapons at an unnecessarily early stage in any future conflict? Is not that situation the result of the Governments' five defence cuts?

Mr. Wellbeloved

I can tell the hon. Gentleman that our flexible response continues to rely on the three elements—strategic and theatre nuclear weapons, and conventional forces. I can also tell the hon. Gentleman that our robust frontline conventional forces now committed to NATO are a much more substantial contribution than the earlier "tripwire" strategy which was embarked upon by his colleagues.

Mr. MacFarquhar

Can my hon. Friend tell us a bit more about our geriatric nuclear forces? Will he assure the House that our nuclear strategic forces will be viable into the 1980s?

Mr. Wellbeloved

Our present nuclear capability is fully committed to NATO and will continue to be so committed so long as it has a useful life.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Select Committee's report highlighted the immense problems of relying upon a long period of warning in order to get the right reinforcements over to the central front? Will the hon. Gentleman think again whether it really is right that we can rely upon the present policy without doing something to improve the reinforcement capability?

Mr. Wellbeloved

Our reinforcement capability is subject to tests from time to time by the use of military exercises, and we are reasonably satisfied that it can meet the obligations that have been placed upon it.

Mr. Ron Thomas

In terms of the NATO commitment, can my hon. Friend give some indication of the cost, across the balance of payments, of our commitment—certainly, in Western Germany—as part of the almost £1,000 million per-year that we now spend on overseas military commitments?

Mr. Wellbeloved

I cannot give detailed figures without notice, but I can tell my hon. Friend that our forces committed to NATO are there for the prime purpose of defending the freedom of this country and, in so doing, defending the freedom of the Western world.

Mr. Churchill

Is the Minister aware that this Government, by their policy of cutting more than 12,500 troops from the front line and by their postponement of the deployment of Milan, Blowpipe and other absolutely essential pieces of equipment, are guilty of lowering the nuclear threshold and going back to the old policy of "tripwire"?

Mr. Wellbeloved

Does not the hon. Gentleman take the point that his continued sniping at the military capabilities of this country does nothing to enhance the morale of our Armed Forces or the efforts of this Government to overcome grave economic problems—efforts that are aimed at re-establishing our ability to deal with our domestic economic situation and our requirement to defend ourselves?

Sir Ian Gilmour

The hon. Gentleman will have seen Dr. Luns' recent letter which expressed criticisms of Her Majesty's Government rather more strident than those uttered by my hon. Friend. Does not the hon. Gentleman think that Dr. Luns was sniping at Her Majesty's Government?

Mr. Wellbeloved

No, not at all. The right hon. Gentleman is putting an incorrect interpretation upon the remarks of Dr. Luns. We welcome the frank and constuctive comments that have been made by our NATO allies and we have taken note of them.

I say to the right hon. Gentleman, as I have said to his hon. Friend the Member for Stretford (Mr. Churchill)—I almost described him as his "side-kick", but I should not like to dignify the hon. Gentleman with that description—that if the Opposition were to be more forthcoming in their support of the Government's general economic strategy this country's economic recovery would move forward at a much more rapid pace and we should be able to do many more things that we want to see done.