§ 25. Mr. John Bercow. (Buckingham)When he last met the French Defence Minister to discuss defence co-operation. [117905]
§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)I last met the French Defence Minister to discuss bilateral defence co-operation on 25 November 1999 at the UK-France summit in London. We have also met more recently at multilateral meetings where more general issues were discussed.
§ Mr. BercowGiven President Chirac's description of the United States as a hyperpower that requires to be counterbalanced, the modest financial commitment of the French and their notorious unreliability, why does not the right hon. Gentleman stop sitting on the fence and simply 696 accept what is apparent to most right-thinking people: that the rock of American defence co-operation is infinitely preferable to the shifting quicksand of French defence co-operation?
§ Mr. BercowRight thinking.
§ Mr. Hoon"Rightward thinking" is what I said. That is a reflection, sadly, of the anti-European attitudes of large numbers of those who sit on the Opposition Benches. What is important for Britain is not only that we maintain the strength of our excellent alliance with the United States through NATO, but that we can bring together the European nations to make an effective contribution to NATO as an alliance.