§ 48. Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the visit of the Minister of Defence for the Army to Aden and Singapore.
§ Mr. MulleyThe purpose of my visit was to see troops on the ground and to obtain first-hand knowledge of the problems they are facing in carrying out an active rôle. I am now looking into the many points I noted.
Everywhere I went I was most impressed by the way our forces are carrying out their tasks. In Aden and the Radfan area I found the troops in excellent heart, fit and alert in helping to ensure the proper conditions required for the future constitutional advance.
In the Far East I visited British and Gurkha units in Malaysia and Hong Kong. In particular I would mention the troops at present serving alongside the Malaysian Security Forces in Eastern Malaysia, where they were carrying out their tasks in difficult jungle conditions with an impressive display of skill and with high morale. I was pleased to find that everywhere I went the presence of our troops was welcomed as a stabilising factor and their relations with local people were extremely good.