§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the joint exercises with Ghanaian parachute units in the United Kingdom and Ghana; and what similar intra-Commonwealth training arrangements have been made and are planned.
§ Mr. ReynoldsA rifle company from the 3rd Ghana Infantry Battalion and a Ghanaian parachute company trained with our troops in the United Kingdom this autumn whilst some 280 men of the 1st Battalion, the Welch Regiment, trained in Ghana with local forces. After individual and sub unit training the visiting Ghanaian troops, including the parachute company, took part with British troops in an exercise on Salisbury Plain.
This exchange was highly successful. We are grateful for the co-operation 198W shown by the Ghanaian authorities which we are confident will continue.
By agreement with the Governments concerned, our troops train in a total of 15 Commonwealth countries. We shall continue to develop mutually beneficial training arrangements with countries within the Commonwealth.