Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current assessment of the nature of the military threat from the Soviet Union; and what assessment of the potential military threat from that country has taken place as a result of the study of options for change.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe welcome the major political changes in the Soviet Union and the shift in emphasis of Soviet military doctrine to defensive objectives. None-the-less, even after the implementation of a CFE agreement, the Soviet Union will remain the largest single military power in Europe. The changing circumstances in Europe are, of course, central to our examinations of options for change.