HC Deb 12 February 2001 vol 363 cc21-2W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Anglo-French Summit of 9 February. [150382]

The Prime Minister

The twenty-third UK/French Summit took place in Cahors on 9 February. I was accompanied by my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary and the Minister of State for Transport. We had productive exchanges on a range of bilateral issues, and agreed measures to deal with the problem of illegal immigration. We established a Cross-Channel commission to improve joint management of issues that affect Cross-Channel relations. In addition we agreed to take forward joint work in the fields of maritime safety, food safety, drugs trafficking and the environment.

We also discussed EU, foreign policy and defence issues, and issued declarations on our shared priorities for the Stockholm Special European Council in March, and on further bilateral work in Africa. Copies of these and other agreed declarations have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.