HC Deb 13 June 1989 vol 154 cc396-7W
29. Mr. Parry

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Baker.

55. Mr. Clay

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces, as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Baker.

56. Mr. Martlew

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Soviet Union's latest planned cutbacks in its European conventional forces as announced during the recent visit of United States Secretary of State, James Barker.

Mr. Younger

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today, to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Michie).

39. Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the defence implications of the Soviet proposal to thin out front-line forces in Europe.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Reductions in the Warsaw pact's massive concentrations of forces in Europe would be very welcome. However, their current zonal proposals would make it very difficult to sustain NATO's strategy of forward defence. Nevertheless, we are studying them with care.