The Government's first White Paper on Defence will be produced in draft form by early next year, the Minister, Mr Smith, said yesterday, when he published the Price Waterhouse review on the Naval Service and Air Corps.
Its terms of reference would aim to provide a medium-term framework for decision-making and management in the defence area, and continuation of the defence reform programme launched with the review implementation plan, the Minister said.
It would also aim to ensure that the reform of the Defence Forces was in harmony with the Strategic Management Initiative launched across the public service; and would set out the basis for the future development of a Civil Defence policy, and the follow-up to the current Towards 2000 strategy.
Submissions are to be sought, and details will be published shortly, he said.