asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken since October 1975 to remedy the deficiences in cross-servicing/rearming NATO aircraft in Germany.

Action to remedy these deficiencies does not lie with one nation but depends upon international collaboration. Within NATO the military Agency for Standardisation is currently engaged in setting up a working party to study aircraft cross-servicing. Within Eurogroup a special study is already in hand on the compatibility of a number of armament stores and a variety of aircraft. A recent series of trials, now being evaluated, has indicated a number of promising areas for further investigation.