We have been told this week the opinion of the all party Defence Select Committee that our armed forces are, through 'global commitments', being stretched to such an extent as to give serious concern about the adequacy of our defence budget.
The imbalance between commitments and resources is said to be such as to result in the military 'stumbling from one crisis to another'.
Another news item this week is that the 7th Armoured Brigade (one-time 'Desert Rats') will, on a projected deployment to Kosovo, be equipped with one of the world's most advanced tanks - the new Challenger 2.
I suggest that this 'Defence' committee should let us know just what is regarded as the sort of crisis which threatens our national security.
Way back in our history, laws were passed which gave successive governments powers to establish armed forces and, of course, to levy taxes to meet the resultant expenditure.
Circumstances in which these forces could be used (no doubt, essentially, to deter and keep our potential invaders) would, at the same time, have been specified.
Has, I wonder, such legislation been regularly revised in such a way as to allow the use of these home defence armed forces to participate in the sort of 'global commitment' which is said to be causing the crises in the defence budget? As a taxpayer I should like to know.
I took note recently of one of President Clinton's utterances in which he described Russia and China as 'our former adversaries'.
What he really meant, of course was former 'potential' adversaries.
Though it was good to hear the word 'former' used, I feel we would all welcome some positive news about what might still be left in the 'peace dividend' kitty!
GODFREY WYCISK
Callington