§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the planned NATO rapid reaction force; what missions it is envisaged this force will undertake; and whether any of its missions are the same as those to be undertaken by EU military forces deployed under the auspices of the European Security and Defence Policy. [76370]
§ Geoffrey HoonAt the NATO Informal Ministerial Meeting in Warsaw in September 2002, the United States Defense Secretary proposed a NATO Response Force (NRF) to provide a rapidly deployable capability within the existing developments in the NATO Command and Force Structures. The United Kingdom strongly supports the NRF concept as a means of optimising the utility of the NATO Force Structure across the range of missions. It will also help to focus efforts to improve capabilities, and will therefore be coherent with and complementary to the European Security and Defence Policy. The NRF concept is currently being discussed within the Alliance, with the guiding principles expected to be put before Heads of State and Government at the November 2002 NATO Summit in Prague for their agreement.