To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role and mission is of the Western European Union; what assessment he has made of its impact in European security; and if he will make a statement. (190691)

All the operational aspects of the Western European Union (WEU), including its capacity to plan and conduct crisis management operations, were transferred to the EU following the establishment of the European Security and Defence Policy in 1999. The only remaining active component is the WEU Parliamentary Assembly which provides collective inter-parliamentary oversight of European defence issues.