HL Deb 31 January 1985 vol 459 cc822-3WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many staff in the Ministry of Defence are currently engaged in "original thinking on long term strategic options", and of these how many are engaged in studying NATO area scenarios involving Soviet activities originating elsewhere than in the central region of NATO and specifically relating to:

  1. (a) the northern region of NATO (including the Norwegian and Barents Seas), and
  2. (b) the southern region;
and, in each case, what is the bearing that developments in these regions may have on "long term strategic options".

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)

Many staff in the Ministry of Defence number among their responsibilities the study of long-term strategic options, including those that relate to NATO area scenarios involving Soviet activities. But manpower statistics are not kept in a form that would enable precise numbers to be calculated. Due account is taken of all developments in Soviet activities when defence policy is formulated.