asked the Minister of Defence whether he has considered the advisability of some measure of standardisation of equipment, organisation and staff methods in the various national forces which may have to work together in Western European defence; and how far agreement has been reached to give effect to any such policy of standardisation.

The promotion of the standardisation of equipment, organisation, and staff methods has been one of the agreed objectives of the defence organisations set up, first under the Brussels Treaty, and subsequently under the North Atlantic Treaty. The military planning staffs have already made good progress on specific aspects of the general standardisation problem.