§ 101. Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the balance of conventional forces in Europe.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonAs announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary on 25 November, at column 38, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has recently published an assessment of the strengths of the conventional armed forces in Europe belonging to the countries of NATO and the Warsaw pact. A copy of the assessment, entitled "Conventional Forces in Europe: the Facts", will be placed in the Library of the House. The data provided confirms the major superiorities enjoyed by the Warsaw pact in those weapon systems such as tanks and artillery which are relevant to an offensive capability; the elimination of these asymmetries, through reductions, will be a major Alliance aim in the forthcoming arms control negotiations on conventional forces in the Atlantic to Urals area. We hope that the publication of the assessment will encourage the Warsaw pact to be equally open about information on conventional force levels.