asked the Prime Minister whether he will hold consultations with the Heads of Governments of the other members of the European Community with a view to establishing a common defence policy in conjunction with Greece and Turkey for the Eastern Mediterranean.

No. The defence of Europe rests upon the North Atlantic Alliance and matters of concern to the Alliance as a whole are considered within the framework of the Alliance. Defence is not covered by the Treaty of Rome, nor is it discussed in the European political co-operation framework.