§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy concerning(a) European and (b) American procurement collaboration; and if he will make a statement. [28729]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe United Kingdom is committed to pursuing greater collaboration armaments procurement both in Europe and with the United States. We have recognised for many years that co-operation with our allies is a most effective means of achieving value for money; the principal forum for this in Europe is the Western European armaments group. I announced on 13 March, Official Report, columns 648–49, that the UK wishes to join France and Germany in their work on setting up an armaments agency.
Equally, we are keen to promote procurement collaboration with the United States. We wish to maintain the UK's extensive two-way business relationship on defence equipment with the US, which we value for strategic reasons and as the sole source of equipment which it would be uneconomic to develop elsewhere.