§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve the contribution of the United Kingdom to the defence of the West; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PymThe Government believe that defence of the West can best be ensured through the collective security provided by the North Atlantic Alliance. We shall, therefore, seek to improve the contribution made by the United Kingdom to the Alliance's defence and deterrent posture, and shall do all we can to promote the objectives of the Alliance. In particular we have supported the call by NATO defence Ministers at our meeting earlier this month for 3 per cent. a year real increases in defence spending by member countries, and this is a factor we shall have very much in mind in considering what future defence budget levels should be.