(DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE)
February, 1975.]
Mr. A. P. HoCKADAY, C.B., C.M.G., Mr. T. CULLEN, Mr. D. M. EVANS, Mr. G. C. B. Dodds, and Rear Admiral A. S. MORTON.
few minutes ago, subject to whatever final decisions might be taken in respect of Cyprus, we would not-apart from that be stationing forces in the Mediter- ranean any longer.
67. One needs the United States, there- fore, to protect Western Europe in all these different directions? We have judged that our contribution to the Mediterranean is small, as in fact it is, and that its withdrawal would not have an especially serious effect upon NATO's posture. We are maintaining our con- tribution either unchanged or consider- ably less drastically reduced in the other areas of NATO. With great respect, I would not have said that over Western Europe generally we were leaving it to the United States to defend us.
Sir Frederic Bennett.
68. You ruled out Gibraltar in the context of the Mediterranean but went on to refer to our contribution in the Eastern Atlantic. Would Gibraltar play a role in regard to that if you abandoned the Mediterranean? After all Gibraltar is at the gateway between the two. Does it still have a useful naval role in regard to
the Eastern Atlantic?(Rear Admiral Morton.) With regard to the alliance strategy, whether in the Mediter- ranean or the Atlantic, Gibraltar has an important role to play so long, of course, as there are no arrangements with Spain or the other powers around the Straits for support of NATO. So there is a relevance of Gibraltar in NATO strategy, in alliance strategy, so long as there is a problem between Gibraltar and Spain. Of course, Gibraltar is in the Mediterranean ACE command.
69. If you abandoned the Mediter- ranean, are you also saying it has no role to play for the Eastern Atlantic?
-No. Its significance then is, of course, entirely related to the availability of Portuguese ports and airfields in sup- port of Atlantic operations. (Mr. Hockaday.) I think there is perhaps a distinction between Gibraltar as a piece of real estate in a strategic position and the presence of minimal British forces in Gibraltar.
[Continued.
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Chairman.] Could I just refer to para- graph 13 at (c)? This may arise because of the way it is set out..
Dr. Miller.
70. Before we go on, may I return to Gan and Mauritius? Is it possible that ex gratia payments and even recurring payments to these territories might in the long run cost us more than any say- ings that we might effect by giving them up?- I think that is, as I am sure Dr. Miller intends it to be, a hypo- thetical question. It is possible, but you said yourself, Sir, in the long run, and one would have to see how long the long run is.
71. But there is a possibility that that could happen; we have to take that into account? -It is a possibility, yes.
Mr. Roper.
72. You say it would be premature to make any prediction about when there could be withdrawals from Oman. Would it be unfair to ask whether the timescale, if not weeks or months, should be judged in terms of five years or ten years or fifteen years? When might the situation be such that we could start withdraw- ing troops?—I would certainly hope it was in single figures.
Mr. Finsberg.
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73. Can I ask about Brunei which only appears in a passing reference in paragraph 10? You say When we have withdrawn. from Brunei ". Could we hear a little bit about the reasoning for Brunei's abandonment and
have a note of the costs of the Brunei operation which fall upon the British taxpayer? The cost of the Brunei garrison which falls upon the British tax- payer is indeed very small. The Gurkha battalion there is in essence paid for by the Sultan. That battalion is, of course, part of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Brigade of Gurkhas is organised, recruited and trained and so on on the basis of maintaining a range of commit- ments of which Brunei is one. But the decision to propose withdrawal of the Gurkha battalion from Brunei is not a financial decision. It reflects the philo- sophy underlying the defence review, that
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