HC Deb 09 January 1996 vol 269 cc1-3
1. Mr. Merchant

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the United States Secretary of Defence to discuss British-United States of America defence co-operation. [6338]

The Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Nicholas Soames)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence last met the United States Defence Secretary at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence planning committee meeting in Brussels on 29 November. He will be visiting Washington again shortly.

Mr. Merchant

First, I wish you a happy new year, Madam Speaker. Secondly, I ask my hon. Friend whether when the Secretary of State next meets his American counterpart he will stress the paramount importance to Britain of the United States-British defence relationship, as demonstrated by our excellent co-operation in Bosnia through the implementation force and on general intelligence matters.

Mr. Soames

I also wish you a very happy new year, Madam Speaker—as indeed do all wings of the Tory party. The transatlantic relationship is, and continues to be, of paramount importance to the United Kingdom defence effort. It is based on a shared world outlook and a commitment to common fundamental values.

As my hon. Friend correctly points out, the current peace implementation is the latest example of co-operation between our two countries. It also demonstrates the importance of the United States to European defence, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing that fact to the attention of the House.

Mr. Llew Smith

Will the Minister inform the House of the total cost to the taxpayer and to the environment of the Trident programme—which was purchased from the United States—during its planned operating life?

Mr. Soames

My hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement will answer a question about the Trident programme later. Suffice it to say that the Trident programme represents a remarkable achievement by the Royal Navy, coming in within budget and on time. It is a wonder of technical engineering.

Mr. Bill Walker

When my hon. Friend next meets his American friends, will he remind them that co-operation between the United Kingdom and the United States on nuclear matters has brought about the demise of the Soviet regime and the fall of the Berlin wall? The deployment of cruise missiles contributed massively to those outcomes, just as Trident is contributing to world peace today.

Mr. Soames

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend, who is right to draw the matter to the attention of the House. He will recall the Labour party's opposition to stationing cruise missiles in the United Kingdom, which significantly dented the Soviet Union's resolve to carry on. We clearly cannot accept anything that risks weakening NATO or the transatlantic link. NATO is the most successful defence alliance in history and it remains the bedrock of our European security.

Back to