Oral Answers to Questions

Alyn Smith Excerpts

Monday 19th February 2024 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Alyn Smith (Stirling) (SNP)]

1. What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of participating in further EU permanent structured co-operation projects.

[The Minister for Armed Forces (James Heappey)]

The Department’s priority is to finalise entry into the permanent structured co-operation military mobility project before considering involvement in other projects. However, we assess that the EU’s standard “third country” terms for PESCO projects involving procurement or capability development will continue to impose significant constraint on UK involvement.

[Alyn Smith]

I appreciate that the UK Government’s attitude to PESCO is to take each project on a case-by-case basis, but may I suggest that publishing criteria for that case-by-case assessment would be useful? It is obvious to the dogs in the street that PESCO will evolve at light-speed, and the UK risks missing out on a lot of important co-operation that could be beneficial. Will the Minister publish that guidance? Otherwise, I will be tabling 68 parliamentary questions to cover each of the 68 PESCO mechanisms.