In a note dated 21 November 1961, the Secretary-General circulates the draft reply by the United Kingdom delegation to the Council of Western European Union (WEU) to Assembly Recommendation No 68 on the Standing Armaments Committee and the joint production of armaments. The Council supports the principle of interdependence in the production of armaments as a means of making savings in costs and manpower and increasing military efficiency. All the WEU Member States are in favour of strengthening cooperation in armaments production, both in WEU and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The Council is in agreement with the paragraphs, although it expresses some reservations since joint production is not a universal panacea. When it comes to selecting projects and distributing production between the Member States of WEU and NATO, this should be done rationally so as to avoid unnecessary duplication and to make sure that joint production is only pursued when it is the quickest and cheapest option for securing new arms for Western defence. The Council also recognises the difficulties experienced by the Standing Armaments Committee (SAC); the national representatives are currently in consultation with the Director and Secretariat to ascertain whether any additional work can be undertaken by the SAC.