Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Kevin Foster Excerpts
Monday 27th June 2016

(8 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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We have continued to argue against duplication between the European Union and NATO, but my hon. Friend is right. We have the very important bilateral relationships with other European countries—the Lancaster House treaty with France, and our growing co-operation with Germany—and I reassured both the French and German Defence Ministers last Friday that we will continue to work at those relationships and to strengthen them.

Kevin Foster Portrait Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)
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In the light of the result last week, will the Secretary of State reassure me that the United Kingdom as a united kingdom remains as committed in both the conventional and nuclear sense to article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty, for our allies in the eastern parts of Europe?

Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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Absolutely. That article is one of the central commitments of NATO. We have, as my hon. Friend knows, committed to the 2% NATO defence spending target and we will be offering further reassurance, particularly to members on the eastern flank of NATO, at the Warsaw summit on Friday week.