§ Q39. Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the achievements to date by Her Majesty's Government in improving the strength and operational efficiency of Her Majesty's Forces; and what further action she now envisages in the light of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the unstable conditions in the Middle East.
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§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 6 November 1979. I am glad to say that since then manpower levels in the Armed Forces have continued to improve. The Government have also given their support to the decision made in December 1979 to modernise the Alliance's long range theatre nuclear forces. In the light of recent events in Afghanistan, we obviously need to keep our world-wide defence policy as well as our capabilities under review. Within our resources and using the most appropriate means, we shall seek to strengthen the capability of Third world countries to resist Soviet aggression.