HC Deb 01 December 1992 vol 215 c160W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 May,Official Report, 256, when the technical co-operation programme mentioned in point (f) was set up; what was its original purpose; and which countries were involved at the beginning.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

On 25 October 1957, the then President of the United States and the then Prime Minister of Great Britain made a declaration of common purpose part of which stated thatThe arrangements which the nations of the free world have made for collective defence and mutual help are based on the recognition that the concept of national self-sufficiency is now out of date. The countries of the free world are interdependent and only in genuine partnership, by combining their resources and sharing tasks in many fields, can progress and safety be found. For our part we have agreed that our two countries will henceforth act in accordance with this principle.

Immediately afterwards, the Canadian Government declared themselves ready to join in this common effort. The resulting organisation was called the tripartite technical co-operation programme.

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