§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Foreign Office's evidence to the House of Lords European Communities Committee on 11 November 1997 that "European Union and NATO enlargement are separate but complementary processes" means that comprehensive cost benefit comparisons between the two processes and their interactions are going on within the Government (and, if so, in which departments) and within the European Union; and, if not, why not. [HL3749]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNo cost benefit comparisons between the processes of EU and NATO enlargement are being conducted. It is not possible to make such comparisons between the economic benefits of EU membership and the benefits of belonging to a collective defence organisation like NATO.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is an expectation within NATO that the reluctance of the electorates of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary to accept increased spending on NATO at the expense of increased spending on education and health (United States Information Agency surveys, 1996–97) will affect the funding of NATO enlargement by those countries; and, if so, what they expect that effect will be. [HL3751]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanOpinion polls (and in the case of Hungary a referendum) established clear support among the people of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic for NATO membership. Their governments are fully committed to membership and to paying their share of NATO's common funded budgets. NATO membership and collective defence will be cheaper for them than national defence policies.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the United States, through the consensus rule of the NATO Council, would in practice maintain a veto over the activities of NATO's European members acting together in an operation other than in association with the United States, as recently proposed by the Prime Minister in Vienna. [HL3780]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNATO agreed in Berlin in 1996 that European operations through the WEU could draw on NATO assets if necessary. NATO would decide by consensus to loan assets for such an operation.
150WA
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the remit of the Secretary General of NATO and other NATO officials for their journeys into (a) the Baltic States and (b) the Caucasus and Central Asia; and whether their statements and the negotiations they carry on there are examined in advance and in retrospect, and cleared, by the NATO Council. [HL3781]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe NATO Secretary General visits countries that have Partnership agreements with NATO to strengthen co-operation and understanding between those countries and the Alliance. He travels and negotiates with the approval of the Council and reports to the Council on his activities.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the United States-funded exercises described as being "in the spirit of partnership for peace" that are carried on in the Baltic States, in the Caucasus and in Central Asia, outside the NATO Partnership for Peace Programme and the NATO area, are always examined by, and always subject to the informed approval of, the NATO Council. [HL3782]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanExercises in the spirit of PfP are bilateral exercises between one or more NATO and/or Partner countries. However Partners can, and generally do, include details of "in the spirit of PfP" activities in their Individual Partnership Programmes, which are submitted to the NATO Council for approval.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why NATO is engaged with environmental issues in Europe and Central Asia; with privatisation in Eastern Europe; and with financial fraud and crime (other than smuggling and the breach of United Nations embargoes); and whether NATO is funding research into biotechnology or bioethics by the Challenges of Modern Science programme or some other means. [HL3788]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNATO's Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society promotes consultation and joint research between scientists in member states and partner countries on social and environmental issues. Its main focus in recent years has been on defence related environmental issues. It runs a small fellowship programme, but does not fund research.
NATO's Science Programme has a budget to fund fellowships, meetings and seminars which promote research across the spectrum of scientific activity, including biotechnology. Half of its budget is now used to promote scientific exchanges between Allies and Partners.
The Economics Directorate of NATO has in the past reported on privatisation in Eastern Europe as part of its wider economic reporting, but has not been directly involved in the process itself; and NATO has also looked at aspects of financial fraud and crime, in the context of implications for the security of the Alliance.
151WA
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the NATO-Russia Joint Council has agreed to discuss the "forthcoming changes in NATO's strategic concept", as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov on 28 October. [HL3792]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe NATO/Russian Founding Act excludes from the scope of consultations in the Permanent Joint Council internal business of NATO, its member states, or Russia, but does provide for exchange of information on strategic issues. NATO will brief the Russians and other Partners on its new Strategic Concept when appropriate.