Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the actions which have resulted from the meetings of the United Nations Military Staff Committee since 1981, what changes to his policies have resulted from these meetings; and what proposals he has to change the work of the United Nations Military Staff Committee.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe United Nations military staff committee played a useful role in the Gulf crisis as a forum for informal exchanges on naval deployments to the region. We do not rule out the possibility of using it in other ways to reinforce the valuable and close co-operation that has evolved between the five permanent members of the Security Council. But we do not believe there is a case for the formal activation of the committee under article 47 of the United Nations charter.