HC Deb 22 June 2000 vol 352 c244W
Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the medium-range Trigat programme. [125782]

Dr. Moonie

The MR TRIGAT Industrialisation and Production (I&P) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by Germany, France and the UK, but has not come into force because Belgium and the Netherlands have yet to sign. This has delayed the placing of the MR TRIGAT Industrialisation and Production contract by over 12 months. The situation has been further complicated by a request from Germany to reduce the number of equipments envisaged when that country signed the MOU. These uncertainties cast significant doubt on whether (and when) a contract based on the existing MOU will be possible.

Our priority must be to deliver a cost effective anti-tank guided weapon capability with the minimum delay. To this end, we continue to liaise with the participating nations to resolve the current uncertainty and to agree a way forward.