asked the Secretary of State for Defence what British Forces are now engaged on overseas duties in Western Germany, Malta, Cyprus, Southern Arabia, Malaysia and British Guiana.

About 130,000.

Is not this a great strain on our resources? Would it not be desirable to concentrate on trying to find democratic political solutions to the problems which involve the use of these troops and, where it is necessary to quench bush fires, to make that an extended responsibility of the United Nations?

It is about 35 per cent. of our Forces, and I think that most hon. Members will agree that they are doing their job extremely well.

Is it not a fact that British Forces could not be so widely dispersed in carrying out peace-keeping operations if we did not possess in this country independent means to defend the homeland against the threat of nuclear attack?

Certainly the most damaging blow which could be delivered to our defences would be to remove the capacity to defend ourselves.

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that our Forces are stretched at the moment and that it would be very much better for him to meet that criticism rather than to try to shelter behind these British Forces whenever he is criticised?

I would have thought that the events of the past few months had demonstrated beyond contradiction that we were meeting it and meeting it adequately.