§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 June,Official Report, column 326, why it is proposed to end the United Kingdom commitment to the multinational force and observers in Sinai; what response he has received from other signatories of the 1981 protocol establishing the MFO; what are the financial implications of the proposed withdrawal; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggOur decision to review our commitment to the Sinai multinational force and observers reflects financial considerations and the fact that the Israeli-Egyptian border is both stable and internationally recognised. We have received various responses to our decision to withdraw from the signatories to the 1981 protocol, which we are considering. The full cost of the United Kingdom contingent in the financial year 1991–92 was of the order of £1 million.