§ Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the administrative co-ordination between the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Industry on the generation of new technologies for defence and civil applications in the 1990s and beyond, including cooperation with the United Kingdom's European partners, in order to strengthen the technological and commercial base of European firms, and on joint European approaches in relation to the American markets for defence equipment, research and development in order to make a reality of the United States of America's initiatives for a two-way street in defence business.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. Increasingly, the Ministry of Defence formulates its requirements with a view to maximising commercial expenditure. We are also working closely with our partners in the independent European Programme Group and, bilaterally, with the United States to develop the"two-way street". And, as my hon. Friend will know from the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Honiton (Mr. Emery) on 3 March, I raised this very point with Defence Secretary Weinberger.