§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his discussion with the German Minister of Defence on the future of the Eurofighter Project, if he will make a statement on the outcome of his meetings and give details of specific assurances he received about future German funding of the production investment and production phases of the project. [2493]
§ Mr. SpellarWhen my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met the German Defence Minister on 4 June in Bonn he pointed out that the Government was firmly committed to the Eurofighter programme and that354W the UK wanted to proceed rapidly to the production phase. He confirmed that the UK was ready to sign the relevant Memoranda of Understanding now. In turn Herr Riihe made it very clear that Germany needed and wanted Eurofighter. He hoped to secure Cabinet approval to proceed to the production phase of Eurofighter on 11 July when the German Cabinet meets to consider the 1998 Federal Budget. The approval of the Bundestag Parliament will then need to be obtained as soon as possible thereafter in advance of signature of the relevant Memoranda of Understanding by the four partner nations.
When my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met Chancellor Kohl in Bonn on 6 June, the Chancellor made very clear his personal commitment to the Eurofighter programme and his aim to secure the German Government's commitment to the production phase in July within the framework of the draft 1998 Federal budget.