HC Deb 19 June 2000 vol 352 cc35-6W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on joint working with(a) Poland and (b) the Czech Republic on military matters; and how many United Kingdom personnel are working in (i) Poland and (ii) the Czech Republic on training and related matters. [125379]

Mr. Spellar

The UK has developed strong bilateral defence relationships with the Czech Republic and Poland. We co-operate on a range of activities designed to support what they themselves are doing to achieve full integration with NATO. This includes provision of places for both nationalities at the Royal College of Defence Studies, as well as providing English language training and organising other staff exchanges and visits. Another example is the development of links between the Czech and British Army units assigned to the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.

We place great value on the practical co-operation we have enjoyed with the forces of the Czech Republic in operations in the Balkans. We are also proud of our involvement with the Poland-Ukraine Peacekeeping Battalion which has included joint exercising taking place successively in all three countries over the last few years.

The number of UK military personnel in either the Czech Republic or Poland at any given time is not held centrally.