§ 66. Mr. Maloneasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's attempts to harmonise its weapons systems.
§ Mr. ButlerThere is general recognition within NATO of the need to make faster progress in harmonising weapons systems. In support of this overall NATO effort, European Defence Ministers have recently endorsed initiatives aimed at establishing a more systematic approach to harmonisation. These initiatives include a study of future equipment needs in order to identify areas where common requirements might be drawn up and which might form a basis for collaborative procurement.