BRITAIN’S SECURITY

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 17

BRITAIN’S SECURITY

Tories win House vote (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, Nov. 20. The British Government last night defeated an Opposition attack on its plans to retain a military presence in South-East Asia while concentrating defence resources on Western Europe security within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. A Labour Party amend-, ment in the House of Com-:, mons, accusing the Govern-j ment of raising false expec- ' tations among Common- i wealth allies by allowing in- ] sufficient funds to fulfil them, ’ was defeated by 284 votes ' to 248, a Government majority of 36. The former Labour Min- , ister of Defence, Mr Denis;; Healey, accused the Govern-, ment of playing politics with ' defence, and suggested that it was frightened of publishing its long-term cost estimates. He added that he did not think the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal would be maintained beyond 1973, as promised, and said that, in any case, a one-carrier force was no force at all. Another Opposition M.P., Mr Christopher Mayhew, a former Minister of the Navy, described* any Government idea of selling arms to South Africa to protect British sea routes as sheer lunacy. "This is the very best way to bring the Soviet Union into Africa and the Indian Ocean,” Mr Mayhew said.