§ 69. Mr. G. Brownasked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's new decision with regard to the strength of British forces to be stationed in Germany and the factors which led to this change.
§ Mr. SandysEarlier in the year we offered to maintain 55,000 troops in the Rhine Army throughout 1959, provided the foreign exchange problem could be got over. Since then there has been a marked strengthening of Britain's balance of payments position. In the light of this, Her Majesty's Government have decided to maintain the British Army of the Rhine at its present strength of 55,000 men until the end of 1959.