§ 65. Dr. A. Thompsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will formulate new proposals for disarmament based on a ceiling of 500,000 ground troops in Western Europe and a similar number in the Warsaw Pact Group, as suggested by the Columbia University group on arms control, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Dunfermline Burgh.
§ Mr. HeathI do not think it would be useful at the present stage to put forward any such proposals. The Columbia University discussions referred to were aimed at studying the measures of inspection and control appropriate to various possible disarmament measures and did not make proposals for disarmament measures as such.
§ Dr. A. Thompsonasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will formulate new proposals for armaments contol, based on restricting the movement of such potentially dangerous fleet units as aircraft carriers, submarines, and missile-carrying destroyers to internationally agreed areas.
§ Mr. HeathRestriction on the movement of naval units may perhaps be found to be a useful element in the controls which would have to be applied as part of a comprehensive disarmament plan. But I do not think it appropriate to deal with this single aspect of control in isolation from a wider scheme of disarmament.