BRITISH NATIONAL DEFENCES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21714, 22 February 1936, Page 15

BRITISH NATIONAL DEFENCES

DEBATE ON EXPANSION PROGRAMME ' (BRITISH o?ttClAl< WI1EI.B83.) RUGBY, February 20. The Government's arms expansion programme and the aspects of the foreign policy which have rendered it necessary will probably be debated in the House of Commons on March 9. The estimates of the defence services for the coming year will by that date have been published, together with the White Paper on defence. Answering a question in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin) said that the plans to be announced shortly for making good the deficiencies in the national defences would be co-ordinated in the programme in which the appropriate functions of the three* fighting services have been fully taken' into account; but any long range programme must be flexible and subject to continuous review and modification as circumstances might require. The Prime Minister also announced that the adjournment of the House would be moved on Monday for the discussion on foreign! affairs. After the debate, which it is hoped to finish by 9.30 p.m., the supplementary estimates for the Navy, Army, and Air Force will be considered.