§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the, Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on how the United Kingdom has encouraged equipment co-operation between east European countries and the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Ministry of Defence has been involved in a number of initiatives designed to provide central and eastern European countries with an understanding of United Kingdom defence procurement policy and practices. These initiatives have comprised the exchange of expert working groups from the defence procurement agencies of the United Kingdom and central and eastern European countries and the United Kingdom's involvement in visits to those countries of teams of experts from NATO.
We have also provided United Kingdom defence industry with information on our approach to equipment procurement from central and eastern Europe to help them make commercial judgments on the possibility of joint ventures with central and eastern European industry.