§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decision by France and the United Kingdom to study the possibility of working together on naval frigate programmes.
§ Mr. NeubertThe primary role of the Royal Navy's planned replacement for the Type 42 Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) destroyers at the turn of the century will be to deploy a naval support defence missile system (SDMS). We have already announced our intention of joining, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations, the Franco/Italian family of anti-air missile systems (FAMS) programme to meet the SDMS requirement and these negotiations are underway. We are also holding a series of meetings at official level with our French colleagues to identify the elements of our two ship programmes where further collaboration appears to offer mutual advantage. It is too early to say what the outcome will be.