asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has reached a decision on future helicopter needs for the Army; and if he will make a statement.

I refer to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave earlier to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown).

Would it help this issue if a decision was reached on whether the RAF or the Army controlled battlefield helicopters in future? The present division of responsibility is causing confusion in defence policy.

I know that this issue has been raised before and we have considered it. However, I do not believe that any changes are envisaged at the moment.

What progress is being made with the NH90? There was a great drive behind that European collaborative machine 18 months ago, but it seems, more or less, to have disappeared from sight.

The NH90 is still under consideration with our European partners.

In making a decision about Army helicopter procurement, will the Minister assure the House that he will afford the British services in Germany the same level of mobility as is enjoyed by other NATO forces on the Western front?

The air mobility of British forces in Germany is a matter that we have to take into account when we look to our ordering requirements.

My hon. Friend has heard the Opposition voice their dislike of the Black Hawk helicopter. Will he give an undertaking that the Ministry of Defence will do all it can to encourage overseas orders for the Black Hawk to be built at Yeovil?

There are a number of export opportunities for the Black Hawk, one of which is in Sweden. We are giving all our support to that.