§ 69. Mr. Shinwellasked the Secretary of State for Defence what land forces are under the command of the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what is the estimate of forces required in the event of aggression by conventional forces known to be available to the Soviet Union.
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§ Mr. HealeyThe United Kingdom assigns B.A.O.R. to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR); 3 Division including 16 Parachute Brigade (less 1 battalion), and 22 Special Air Service Regiment are earmarked for assignment; and a Battalion Group and an Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron are allocated to the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force.
It is not for me to specify the land forces that other N.A.T.O. countries assign or earmark for assignment to SACEUR. Provided 'that the present range of military forces now available to the alliance as a whole is kept effective, it should be sufficient to deter an attack at any level by a rational enemy.
§ Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of parachute battalions which Great Britain has been asked to provide by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and where these battalions are now stationed.
§ Mr. ReynoldsTwo parachute battalions have been declared to N.A.T.O. as part of the increased contribution which I announced in the House on 10th May, 1968. The battalions are stationed at Aldershot.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many warships of the Royal Navy are assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what they are.
§ Dr. David OwenVirtually the whole of the Royal Navy is earmarked for assignment to N.A.T.O. The only warship assigned at present is H.M.S. "Dido", our current contribution to the Standing Naval Force Atlantic.
Other ships are assigned from time to time for exercises. The ships concerned vary according to availability and N.A.T.O. requirements at the time.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what squadrons of the Royal Air Force are assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
§ Mr. ReynoldsThe following information relates to the position today:
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R.AF. Germany
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V-Force.
Air Defence Aircraft of Strike Command.
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Canberra Reconnaissance Aircraft.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many, and what types of aircraft are held in the Royal Air Force's operational conversion units.
§ Mr. ReynoldsOperational training is carried out in operational conversion units on all types of operational aircraft with the exception of transport aircraft, where the training is mostly done in the squadron. The number of aircraft in operational conversion units varies in accordance with the type and rôle of aircraft, the number of operational squadrons and the complexity of the training task.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are employed at naval headquarters organisations in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. David OwenThe number of civilians employed in Naval Command Headquarters in the United Kingdom on 1st January, 1969 was 660. This figure includes 20 part-time employees.