§ 27. Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has submitted Her Majesty's Government's views to the NATO study group concerning NATO's area of military responsibility.
§ Mr. MasonThere is no such NATO study group. As I have already explained to the hon. Member, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic is undertaking a study of the problems of protecting NATO merchant shipping should it be attacked outside the NATO operational boundaries.
§ 42. Mr. Alan Clarkasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current assessment of the military balance between NATO and the Warsaw Pact Alliance.
§ Mr. MasonI have nothing further to add to the answer I gave earlier this afternoon to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Cook).