§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current state of the CFE negotiations and their possible effect on future military aircraft procurement for the RAF.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe negotiations continue to make good progress and there are hopes that an agreement may be reached later this year. There has, as yet, been no agreement on either the definition or number of combat aircraft which might be covered by a CFE treaty. It is, therefore, not possible to speculate on the likely effects on future procurement.