§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about British and Allied support for the defence of the Gulf region.
§ Mr. Pym[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1980, c. 486]: The question to which I referred was withdrawn on the day on which it was to be answered, and I apologise to my hon. Friend for the confusion.
We keep under constant review, in consultation with our Allies, our collective response to the Soviet threat. We also have under review our Forces' capability for operations outside the NATO area. We shall continue to contribute to the security and stability of the Indian Ocean and Gulf areas through the provision of military training assistance and advice, and defence equipment. From time to time we deploy units from all three Services for visits to friendly countries and undertake exercises with their forces.