Oral Answers to Questions

Alison Seabeck Excerpts

Monday 4th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

I am pleased to hear about my hon. Friend’s personal entente cordiale, and I hope that the relationship we have with France in defence will turn out to be as fruitful. We certainly aim to ensure the best use of money in future procurement and the development of projects, but above all we have been looking at the respective doctrines of our armed forces to ensure greater interoperability. France is a natural partner of the UK in being willing both to spend and deploy, which cannot be said of a number of our other European partners in NATO.

[Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View) (Lab)]

Will any of the discussions with the French Government on working more closely together and on cost cutting lead to the scenario suggested in Jane’s that 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines could be disbanded? I hope that the Secretary of State will reassure my constituents, who have close links to the Royal Marines currently serving in Afghanistan, that that will not happen.

[Dr Fox]

There has been no such discussion in dealing with our French counterparts, and neither do I intend that there will be any such discussion.