§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated annual cost to public funds of British participation in the European rapid reaction force. [139783]
§ Mr. HoonThe objective of the European Union in setting the Headline Goal is to ensure the ability of nations to be able to generate forces rapidly in response to a crisis. There will be no standing rapid reaction force entailing an annual cost to public funds.
§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy will be for determining priorities between commitments to the European rapid reaction force and to NATO. [139950]
§ Mr. HoonDecisions on deployment of British troops will continue to be made on the basis of UK national interests, operational circumstances, our Treaty commitments to NATO and our current deployments. The decision to commit troops to an operation under any international organisation, whether it be NATO, OSCE, UN or the EU, will remain a UK Government decision based on the above factors.
§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he will apply in determining whether or not a military confrontation is appropriate for crisis management by an EU rapid reaction corps. [139952]
§ Mr. HoonThere is no EU rapid reaction corps. Large-scale military confrontation in Europe, particularly when territorial defence of a NATO country may be involved, is, and will remain, a matter for NATO. NATO will also continue to be available to respond to other crisis management needs as its members decide.
The EU' s commitment is to develop the ability, where NATO is not engaged, to deploy military forces across the full range of Petersberg tasks. These include humanitarian and rescue tasks; peacekeeping tasks; and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peace making.
§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on UK security of duplicating military structures in Europe. [139959]
§ Mr. HoonThere will be no duplication in military structures in Europe. The small military staff being established within the EU will be offset by the winding down of the equivalent staff in the Western European Union.
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§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assurances he has received of increased defence expenditure from his counterparts in(a) France, (b) Germany and (c) Italy in relation to an EU rapid reaction corps. [139960]
§ Mr. HoonThe UK does not comment on the spending plans of other nations. We do, however, seek to encourage nations to spend their defence budgets as effectively and efficiently as possible and to target spending on improving military capabilities.