§ Mr. Buckasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the draft treaty on the mutual reduction of armed forces and associated measures tabled on 8 July by the Western direct participants in the MBFR talks in Vienna.
§ Mr. HurdThe tabling of the draft treaty is an important move by the Alliance. By meeting a major Eastern requirement—that all direct participants should undertake at the outset to take a significant share of the force reductions required—this latest proposal reinforces the long-standing Western commitment to reach an agreement based on significant reductions, equal force levels, effective verification and confidence-building measures. The Government hope that this clear proof of the Alliance's wish to make progress will elicit an encouraging response from the East.