Written question asked by Claire Curtis-Thomas (Labour) on Wednesday, 22 October 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 27 October 2008. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Thursday, 30 October 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: International Cooperation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the NATO-supported centres of excellence in (a) joint air power competence, (b) defence against terrorism, (c) naval mine warfare, (d) combined joint operations from the sea, (e) civil military operations, (f) cold weather operations, (g) joint chemical biological radiation and nuclear defence, (h) air operations analysis and simulation and (i) command and control.

Answer: We sponsor and provide personnel to those COE that generate a capability that we are unable to create in-country or within the existing NATO framework and that are of particular benefit to the UK. Occasionally, we provide UK expertise for limited periods of time to those COE that provide useful capability but which we are unable to support as a full MOU signatory.HQ Allied Command Transformation is responsible for COE accreditation and oversight. However, we require all UK personnel posted to COE to provide regular reports to the lead organisation within the MOD on the activities and the operational value of the COE. These reports are used to determine future levels of UK commitment.Currently we support the Joint Air Competence, Defence Against Terrorism, Combined Joint Operations from the Sea and Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Defence COE but not the Civil Military Operations, Naval Mine Warfare, Cold Weather Operations, Air Operations Analysis and Simulation and Command and Control COE.

Secondary information