Written question asked by Rachel Squire (Labour) on Monday, 7 February 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 February 2000. It was answered by Lord Spellar (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 February 2000 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: Statement on what recent progress has been made on strengthening links between the Royal Navy and the French Navy.

Answer: Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on strengthening links between the Royal Navy and the French Navy. [109358] Mr. Spellar: I am pleased to announce that HMS Victorious will shortly conduct a port visit to France. She will arrive in Brest on 11 February. This is the second visit of its kind, the first having taken place at Gibraltar in November 1998. The visit has been made possible as a result of the reduced operational tempo of our SSBN fleet, as implemented in the Strategic Defence Review.

Secondary information