1
DRAFT
Defence Review: Parliamentary Statement
On 21st March I announced the start of the most extensive and
3
thorough review of our system of defence ever undertaken by a British
<
Government in peace time. Its purpose has been to produce a defence
structure that would be modern and effective, while reducing its cost
as a proportion of our national resources.
2.
The Government has now decided the general scale of the programme
needed to meet our future defence requirements and has reached provisional.
conclusions about the force levels involved and the implications for our :
commitments, for the armed force, and for industry.
́beginning our consultations with our allies in NATO.
We are today
These consultations.
will be thorough and genuine. They are likely to last into the New Year..
We have also approached, or will shortly be approaching, those of our
partners in other parts of the world who will or might be affected.
3. First I will describe the general principles that we have followed
in conducting the review. NATO is the linchpin of British security and
will remain the first charge on the resources available for defence.
therefore propose to concentrate as a first priority upon those crucial
We
areas in which we believe that we can most effectively contribute to the
security of the Alliance and of the United Kingdom itself.
These consist
of our contributions of land and air forces in the Central Region
of
.!