§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be their policy at the April 1999 NATO Summit Meeting in Washington towards a comprehensive review of the role of nuclear weapons in the security policy of the Alliance; and what proposals they will make for reduced significance of such weapons in future. [HL978]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)NATO has already responded to the radical changes in the European security environment since 1991 with dramatic reductions in its sub-strategic forces; a significant relaxation of the readiness criteria for nuclear-roled forces; and the termination of standing peacetime nuclear contingency plans.
In preparation for the Washington Summit, we are considering with our allies all aspects of NATO security policy, to ensure that it reflects the current security environment.
§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals they will make at the April 1999 NATO Summit Meeting in Washington concerning the availability of the resources of the alliance to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations for future peace support operations in Europe. [HL979]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNATO has already offered to make available Alliance resources and expertise on a case-by-case basis to the United Nations Security Council and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe for peacekeeping and other operations. For example, in Bosnia, the NATO-led force is working closely with the UN International Police Task Force and OSCE Mission.
§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals they will make at the April 1999 NATO Summit Meeting in Washington for strengthening the role of the Permanent Joint Council and Partnership for Peace. [HL980]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanHer Majesty's Government are working to strengthen the role of the NATO/Russia Permanent Joint Council, the NATO-Ukraine Commission, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Partnership for Peace within their existing frameworks. NATO has used the first three of these fora for consultations with Russia and other Partners on the situation in the former Yugoslavia and is deepening its military co-operation with Partners under Partnership for Peace. We want more substantial exchanges with Russia in the Permanent Joint Council. There are no plans for new NATO/Russia initiatives at the Washington Summit, but NATO and Partners are developing for the Summit a new framework to involve Partners in consultation and planning for NATO-led operations.
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§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What priority they will give to disarmament and arms control at the April 1999 NATO Summit Meeting in Washington; and what proposals they will make in this respect from small arms through to weapons of mass destruction. [HL982]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanDisarmament and arms control are a high priority for the UK. We will be pushing for a reaffirmation by NATO Heads of State and Government at the Washington Summit of the importance of disarmament and arms controls, and the Alliance's support both for existing Treaties and for initiatives allies are taking forward in other fora.
§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be their proposals at the April 1999 NATO Summit in Washington for the future role of the Western European Union including its Parliamentary Assembly in relation to movement in the European Union towards a common foreign and security policy. [HL983]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe NATO Summit will complete the implementation of the 1996 Berlin decisions to develop a European Security and Defence Identity within NATO. We hope the Summit will continue the process of strengthening the European contribution to NATO, in parallel with work underway in the WEU and EU to develop the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Government remains committed to proper scrutiny of developments in this area by bodies such as the WEU Assembly.