The first is the wide range of activities undertaken by our armed forces over the past year, described in Chapter Two. In Northern Ireland, supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the maintenance of law and order. In Iraq, enforcing the No-Fly Zones in support of United Nations Security Council Resolutions. In the Caribbean, providing aid and assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters. In Africa, contributing to the building of peace and stability. And, most visibly, in the former Yugoslavia, where their humanitarian and peacekeeping work over the past four years has helped to save many thousands of lives.

A snapshot taken in the middle of last year would have shown the United Kingdom as the largest contributor to United Nations missions around the globe. In 1996 British forces will continue their major role in implementing the Dayton peace agreement. We can take pride in the distinction and professionalism with which our Service men and women have carried out all their tasks. The second striking feature is the way we have built on the successful changes made to our policies, plans and force structures since the fall of the Berlin Wall. We have capitalised on the decisions that were taken to sustain flexible and highly capable forces, well-suited to the range of threats that could be posed to our country and our way of life. We have invested in mobility, deployability and rapid reaction, including Britain's pivotal position in the Headquarters of NATO's Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, which is commanding the Alliance's land forces from its base in Sarajevo.

Chapter One describes two projects which come to fruition this year - the creation of the Joint Rapid Deployment Force and the establishment of the permanent Joint Headquarters - which will improve our capabilities still further. It also sets out progress in work within NATO to take forward its continuing adaptation, including through Partnership for Peace, the Combined Joint Task Force concept and enlargement of the Alliance's membership. We will continue our active role in that work within NATO. Within the WEU, we are using the period of Britain's Presidency to take practical steps to improve its effectiveness. We shall argue vigorously at the European Union's Inter-Governmental Conference that European defence arrangements must be based on sustaining NATO's strength and effectiveness.

The Government's investment in defence is large. The Department in turn has an obligation to use that money to get the greatest military output. The reader will be struck, thirdly, by the importance we attach to the continuing drive to achieve value-for-money in defence and to concentrating Resources on the front line and support for it. Chapter Six describes that approach and the measures in hand.

I am determined that our forces shall be fully capable of undertaking the commitments we ask of them and are adequately resourced to do so. The very large investment in equipment over the past 15 years translates today into formidable power on the ground, at sea and in the air. Our forces have never been better equipped. And all three Services, in particular our rapidly-deployable forces, will benefit from the equipment programmes described in Chapter Four.

This Statement contains a wealth of detailed information. I hope that it contributes to informed debate on the defence of our country.

Ministry of Defence
May 1996