§ Mr. FavellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the intergovernmental conferences' discussions about a common defence policy.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere are a range of views among our partners on whether the Twelve should take on a defence role. In our view European defence, although it must become increasingly self-sufficient, will continue to depend on the alliance and the north American role. We do not believe that the common foreign and security policy of the Twelve should be expanded to include defence.