To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the projected timetable for stages of the Strategic Defence Review. [16229]

In my speech to the House on 27 October 1997, Official Report, columns 609–20, I outlined the emerging conclusions of the first phase of the Review, which looked at the foreign and security policy framework. The Review now is looking at missions of our forces, military tasks, future force structures and capabilities, procurement, and a wide range of efficiency-related issues. Once all work on the Review has been considered by Ministers we will publish a White Paper setting out our overall conclusions. I envisage that this White Paper will be published in the first part of next year.