Written question asked by Madeleine Moon (Labour) on Monday, 4 November 2013, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 November 2013. It was answered by Andrew Murrison (Conservative) on Monday, 11 November 2013 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence: Netherlands

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on pooling and sharing with NATO allies military platforms such as the Dutch joint logistic support ship which is to be sold as part of Dutch defence spending reductions; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The UK actively participates in NATO Smart Defence and EU Pooling and Sharing initiatives as we seek to maximise resources and capabilities. We examine our participation in these projects on a case-by-case basis to establish if they would benefit the UK and offer value for money. I wrote to the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) on 11 September 2013 to outline the extent of our current involvement; a copy of the letter is available in the Library of the House. The Dutch Government has recently confirmed it intends to operate its supply ship nationally as a replenishment tanker and to consider pooling and sharing arrangements for the ship with international partners. Should it become part of the Smart Defence and Pooling and Sharing initiatives we will examine our position accordingly.

Secondary information