DEFENCE PROCUREMENT
Letter from the Chairman to Lord Drayson,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence
Thank you for your Explanatory Memorandum dated
28 February 2006 which Sub-Committee C considered at its meeting
on 16 March. The Sub-Committee agreed to clear the document from
scrutiny.
We consider that the proposed Interpretative
Communication would be a useful mechanism for ensuring that Art.296
is used more consistently across the Member States. We would like
to reserve our position on the proposed Defence Directive until
the draft text is available.
In both cases we urge you to deposit versions
of the draft texts along with Explanatory Memoranda at the earliest
opportunity in order to allow as much time as possible for parliamentary
scrutiny.
20 March 2006
Letter from Lord Drayson to the Chairman
I was grateful for your letter of 20 March broadly
endorsing the Government's Explanatory Memorandum response to
the recent EC communication on Defence Procurement. I fully understand
your Committee's reservation of its position on a Defence Directive.
I will, of course, ensure that future draft
texts are deposited with the Committee as quickly as possible.
This is a matter of standing policy, to the extent that we are
able. The European Commission is, of course, under no obligation
to consult on the text of Interpretive Communications.
30 March 2006
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