§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy when strengthening the operational role of the Western European Union to ensure that there is no weakening of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or the transatlantic link; what effect he expects his proposals to have on the course of the NATO summit on the future of NATO; and what plans he has to publicise progress on his proposals for the Western European Union.
§ Mr. HanleyIt has always been United Kingdom policy that development of the operational role of the Western European Union should strengthen NATO, including the transatlantic link. Discussions are continuing with allies on the preparations for the NATO summit, which will provide an important opportunity for the alliance to continue and enhance its adaptation to the new security environment. Progress in developing the Western European Union is made public in a variety of ways, including communiqués issued following meetings of the WEU Council of Ministers. The most recent of these took place in Luxembourg on 22 November.