Disarmament (Hansard, 7 February 1989)

§ 35. Dr. Reid
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's response to the detailed conventional forces reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other eastern European Governments.
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§ 38. Mr. McTaggart
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's response to the detailed conventional force reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other eastern European Governments.

§ 79. Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts about a NATO response to the detailed conventional force reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 97. Mr. Ian Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions are taking place to determine NATO's response to Soviet troop withdrawals from Eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.

§ 113. Mrs. Fyfe
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts about a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation response to the detailed conventional forces reduction announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 117. Mr George Howarth
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about a NATO response to the detailed conventional forces reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 119. Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's response to the detailed conventional forces reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 124. Ms. Mowlam
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's response to the detailed conventional forces reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 135. Mr. Barron
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts about a NATO response to the detailed conventional forces reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Eastern European Governments.

§ 144. Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response to the Soviet bloc troop reduction initiative he will be advocating to Britain's NATO partners.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have welcomed the reductions announced by the Soviet Union and other Warsaw pact countries as a significant step towards the elimination of the Warsaw pact's superiorities in conventional forces in Europe. But even if the announced reductions are implemented, the Warsaw pact will continue to enjoy significant numerical superiorities in key equipments such as tanks and artillery. NATO will therefore continue with its existing policy of deterrence whilst seeking balance in conventional forces in Europe at the new conventional arms control negotiations which are scheduled to begin in Vienna in March this year.

§ 115. Mr. Carrington
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a further statement on the 661W extent to which, following the withdrawals from eastern Europe of Soviet tanks and manpower as announced by Mr. Gorbachev, the Warsaw pact will have achieved a balance with NATO.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
If implemented, the reductions announced by Mr. Gorbachev in December 1988, and elaborated in January 1989, would leave the Warsaw pact with an advantage over NATO in tanks and artillery of some 2.5:1. NATO countries are still analysing the recent announcements of reductions in the forces of other Warsaw pact countries. It is clear, however, that significant imbalances would remain even if these reductions were also implemented.