§ 55. Mr. Warbeyasked the Lord Privy Seal what consideration has been given by the Council of Western European Union to the proposal of the United States Government that the proportion of German manpower and gross national product devoted to defence should be increased to the United States level, in conflict with the manpower limits laid down in the revised Brussels Treaty.
§ Mr. P. ThomasI have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's reply of 12th November.
§ 64. Mr. Warbeyasked the Lord Privy Seal what proposals were adopted at the recent meeting of the Assembly of Western European Union for the creation of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or European nuclear deterrent.
§ Mr. P. ThomasAs the text is rather long, I am circulating the relevant recommendation of the Assembly.
- 1. That the member Governments consider making common proposals to the North Atlantic Council for a N.A.T.O. nuclear executive to be the sole authority deciding on the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in the territory covered by the Alliance;
- 2. That the member Governments should now commence negotiations with a view to making common proposals to the United States to secure the integration of allied nuclear forces into a single N.A.T.O. nuclear force, possibly based on a European and an American component, within a single command structure coming under the control of a single political executive representative of the Alliance as a whole;
- 3. That the member Governments now make common proposals to the United States for a greater sharing of the scientific and industrial knowledge connected with the production of nuclear warheads and delivery systems;
67 - 4. That however the member States should not relax their efforts to strengthen the conventional forces of the Alliance;
- 5. That it submit the foregoing proposals to the member Governments and to the North Atlantic Council.