HL Deb 05 February 1987 vol 484 c417WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are proposing to conduct any exercises, with or without other allied forces, in the sea areas adjoining Europe in 1987 on a scale similar to those activities, notification of which was made public by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 9th December last.

Baroness Young

We will as usual be conducting a number of naval activities in the sea areas adjoining Europe during 1987, both nationally and with our NATO allies. It is not possible, however, to provide a meaningful comparison between the scale of these activities and those notifiable under the terms of the Stockholm Document given that the thresholds for notification in the latter document are expressed only in terms of manpower and tanks.

All amphibious activities which met the criteria for notification set by the Stockholm Document were included in the calendar notified to all CSCE states and included in the reply that my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the honourable Member for Edinburgh East (Dr. Gavin Strang) in another place on 9th December 1986.