§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the changes in the total number of Soviet troops deployed in Eastern Europe since 1979.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 31 March 1987, c. 454]: The total number of Soviet ground forces deployed in Eastern Europe has since 1979 been consistently above 500,000. At the beginning of 1979, this represented 31 motor rifle and tank divisions but, following the withdrawal that year of one motor rifle division from the German Democratic Republic to the Soviet Union, the total number of divisions has since remained constant at 30. The considerable qualitative improvement in Soviet ground and air forces in Eastern Europe over this period are referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of annex A of volume 1 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986".