HC Deb 13 February 1989 vol 147 c52W
Mr. Sean Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of(a) British land forces, (b) British main battle tanks, (c) British armoured personnel carriers, (d) British anti-tank guided missile systems and (e) British tracked surface-to-air missile systems stationed on the mainland of Europe in each year since 1980.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

For numbers of land force personnel stationed on the mainland of Europe, I refer the hon. Member to page 24 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988, Part 2" (Cm. 344-II) which details the totals of European theatre ground forces in BAOR and Berlin since 1982. The balance of strengths to 1980 can be found on page 24 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986 Part 2" (Cmnd. 9763-I). For numbers of equipments in use on 1 January 1988, I refer the hon. Member to pages 6, 10, 14 and 16 of the NATO publication "Conventional Forces in Europe: The Facts", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. This document was first published on 25 November 1988 and comparable figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Sean Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the effective strength of British land forces on the continent of Europe in 1987.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 January 1989 at column130.