Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance from NATO he has taken into account in determining the proposed levels of spares holdings for the British units which will be deployed with the rapid reaction corps.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNATO guidance on stock levels is currently under review by member nations and NATO's military authorities and w ill be taken into account when it is approved.
Logistic planning for the United Kingdom element of a rapid reaction corps is still in its early stages.
Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British units stationed in Germany as part of the proposed rapid reaction corps will be capable of more rapid deployment than those British units currently assigned to NATO as part of NORTHAG.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonPrecise readiness requirements for units assigned to the ACE rapid reaction corps have not yet been decided, but in general we would expect them to be less demanding than those that applied when we faced the possibility of surprise attack by Soviet forces stationed in eastern Europe.