§ 53. Mr. G. Brownasked the Minister of Defence if he will now state the measures on which agreement was reached at the recent meeting of the North Atlantic Council and which are designed to achieve closer co-operation in military research, development and production within the framework of the Western European Union.
§ Mr. SandysAt the Defence Ministers' meeting of the North Atlantic Council last month, it was agreed that the Western European Union or other groups of nations within N.A.T.O. should be encouraged to work out joint schemes for research development and production of weapons with the object of avoiding duplication of effort.
A number of proposals have been formulated by Her Majesty's Government and certain Governments of the Western European Union. These will be examined at a joint meeting of experts later this month. This will be followed by a further meeting of the Defence Ministers of the Western European Union, at which it is hoped to make a start in selecting weapon projects to be carried out jointly, and in allocating responsibility between the countries concerned.