4th Meeting of the Parliamentary Working Group on UK-French Defence Cooperation
23 October 2012
The parliamentary working group on defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and France held its 4th meeting at the House of Lords on Thursday 18 October in the presence of:
- For the Senate: Mr Robert del Picchia and Mr Xavier Pintat, Deputy Chairmen of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces.
- For the National Assembly: Mrs Patricia Adam, Chair of the Defence Committee; Mr Jean-David Ciot and Mr Olivier Audibert Troin.
- For the House of Lords: Lord Teverson, Chairman of the EU Sub-Committee for External Affairs and Lord Foulkes.
- For the House of Commons: Mr James Arbuthnot, Chair of the Defence Committee and Mr Dai Havard.
The group heard from Rear Admiral Rees Ward, Chief Executive of ADS, which represents the UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Industries, and from Mr Tom McKane, Director General Security Policy, and Air Marshal Steve Hillier, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Capability), Ministry of Defence. It also held discussions with the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards.
The group discussed a range of issues but focused on progress in the implementation of the 2010 bilateral defence treaties between France and the United Kingdom, co-operation in the defence industry, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones), missiles, especially anti-ship missiles, cyber security, the forthcoming joint exercise Corsican Lion and the Sahel and Mali.
The next meeting will take place in Paris in 2013.
Contacts:
French Senate: Olivier Delamare Deboutteville, Clerk of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces, o.delamare@senat.fr
French National Assembly: François-Xavier Carabelli, Daniel Bokobza, Clerks of the Defence Committee, fxcarabelli@assemblee-nationale.fr, dbokobza@assemblee-nationale.fr
House of Lords: Kathryn Colvin, Clerk of the EU Sub-Committee for External Relations, colvink@parliament.uk
House of Commons: Alda Barry, Clerk of the Defence Committee, barrya@parliament.uk