§ 7. Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on Britain's position in the UN Security Council of reducing the United Kingdom's defence spending to the European average. [22311]
§ Mr. PortilloReducing defence spending to the current NATO European average would involve cuts of over £4.5 billion per year. This would have a gravely damaging effect on our armed forces and on their ability to carry out operations, including those carried out under the auspices of the UN Security Council.