HL Deb 11 October 1999 vol 605 cc79-80WA
The Earl of Carlisle

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in view of the overshoot of military equipment collaborative projects in budget time and cancellation costs, they will wherever possible commission weapons systems that were designed and manufactured by British companies. [HL3935]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The cost of developing and producing modern defence equipment is such that co-operation with other nations is often an attractive option. By sharing the costs of development and achieving lower production costs through longer production runs, significant economies can be made. A collaborative approach also makes sound operational sense in an era when we expect military operations increasingly to be conducted on a multi-national basis. For these reasons, the Strategic Defence Review (Cm 3999) concluded that, wherever possible, European governments should harmonise the requirements of their Armed Forces and prove co-operative solutions [paragraph 167].