§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence what system of measurement is used by his Department to evaluate the relative strength of different national armies and the balance of conventional forces in Europe.
§ Mr. StanleyTo measure completely the relative strengths of different national armies it is necessary not only to take into account numbers of men and equipment, but also a wide range of other factors such as military strategy, geography, force structures, quality and age of equipment, logistic support, training, leadership and morale.
However, information on the numerical balance of conventional forces on the central front is contained in annex A of vol. I of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1984".