To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint procurement projects his Department has participated in with the European Defence Agency since 2004; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such partnerships. (269815)

The UK participates in a wide range of activities across the agency. None of the activities we have taken part in has yet generated proposals for collaborative procurement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has provided to the European Defence Agency in each year since 2004; what mechanisms are in place to (a) audit such expenditure and (b) monitor the distribution of such funds against objectives; and if he will make a statement. (269816)

The amount paid by the Ministry of Defence to the European Defence Agency (EDA) in each of the financial years since it was established in 2004 is provided in the following table.

Funds for the agency are allocated annually against a work programme, approved by Defence Ministers at the EDA Steering Board. The accounts of the EDA are audited annually by a College of Auditors whose members are currently drawn from three participating member states.