§ Sir Ian Orr-Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the estimated annual cost, at current prices, of maintaining the composite force in the Singapore-Malaysia theatre now planned to be there on 1st April, 1971.
350W
§ Mr. HealeyPresent plans provide for a continuing run down in forces in Singapore and Malaysia together with associated reductions in operational support outside the theatre and in logistic and administrative backing in this country. It would not be practicable merely to suspend the rundown at a specific point in time without completely recasting plans for the defence forces as a whole and it would therefore be quite misleading to make a cost assessment on the arbitrary and unreal basis requested.