§ Sir Dudley SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the continued progress and effectiveness of Operation Sharp Guard; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HanleyRoyal Navy ships and aircraft and RAF Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft continue to contribute to operations in the Adriatic to monitor and enforce compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions on trade sanctions and the arms embargo against the former Yugoslavia. NATO/WEU Operation Sharp Guard continues to be highly successful. Since enforcement operations began, there have been over 27,000 challenges of suspected violators and over 1,900 instances of ships being stopped and boarded, with over 450 diversions for inspections.