Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what input they gave to the statement by the European Commission that €6.5 billion will be allocated from the Connecting Europe Facility for military mobility by rail; whether they support the need for improved rail links across Europe for the purpose of defence and the preservation of peace; and what plans they have for co-operation on such matters after the UK leaves the EU.

The proposal to allocate €6.5 billion to military mobility by rail is part of the European Commission's overall proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework that was published on 2 May 2018. Member States will have the opportunity to discuss and amend the Commission's proposal as it proceeds through the formal decision-making processes over the coming months. The UK is pleased to see work developing in conjunction with NATO on this important initiative, and any decisions on which programmes the UK will participate in after 2020 will be taken as part of the future partnership negotiations.