My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (John Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Supreme Allied Commander Europe has decided that the specific capability, currently provided by the UK to the NATO force in Kosovo, is no longer required. Our current force of 167 personnel will draw down to a small number of posts between the end of March 2009 and 1 September 2009.

Our draw down reflects the changed circumstances in Kosovo, in particular the improved security situation. The key milestones in Kosovo’s independence have passed without major incident and the security situation in Kosovo is generally calm. The EU rule of law mission has recently rolled out across Kosovo. Against this backdrop, and with over 14,000 personnel still in theatre, NATO remains well placed to deal with any potential security incidents.