Western European Union (Hansard, 19 June 1990)

§ Mr. Hill
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been done to examine the potential of the Western European Union as a vehicle for assessing possible threats to member countries and for research into the prospects of an all-European security area in respect of(a) defining a sufficiency threshold in defence matters, (b) analysing the concept of shared security and (c) developing means of arbitration, confidence-building measures and disarmament.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
We believe that NATO remains the right place in which to assess threats to WEU member states. The question of future security arrangements in Europe, together with arms control and confidence-building issues, have been extensively discussed within the WEU. The need for sufficiency rule is part of the western position in the CFE negotiations.

§ Mr. Hill
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government will be making to the Western European Union Assembly's proposals that the Western European Union Council should(a) use the modified Brussels treaty as a juridical basis for the presence of forces of member states on the territory of other member states and (b) convene regular meetings of chiefs of staff of member countries to examine European armaments requirements.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
Formal responses to recommendations in reports of the Western European Union assembly are the responsibility of the WEU permanent council. We have no plans to make a separate response.

§ Mr. Hill
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the date on which a member country can use the right fixed by article XII of the Western European Union treaty to give notice to the depository government of its desire to cease being a party thereto.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
After 25 August 1998—that is, 50 years after the date on which the Brussels treaty entered into force—each of the high contracting parties has the 495W right, under article XII of the modified treaty, to cease to be a party thereto, provided that it has previously given one year's notice of denunciation to the Belgian Government.

§ Mr. Hill
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to use the Western European Union to guarantee the permanency of member countries' frontiers and to ensure respect for the commitments entered into by its members in the context of agreements limiting forces or armaments or the non-production of certain weapons.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The inviolability of the frontiers of WEU member countries among others is affirmed by the Helsinki final act, of which all WEU member countries are signatories. We are confident that all WEU member countries respect, and will continue to respect, their international commitments.

§ Mr. Hill
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the consequences of a devolution of the Federal Republic of Germany's commitments to a unified Germany for the application of the Western European Union treaty with regard to(a) co-operation between the Western European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation under article IV, (b) military assistance under article V, specified in paragraph III.4 of the Hague platform, (c) article VII and (d) implementation of article VIII, paragraphs 2 and 4 and protocols Nos. II, III and IV.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
We remain in close touch with the Federal German Government and other allies on these and other aspects of future European security.