Major orders reviews of defence and foreign policy

John Major yesterday called his most senior Cabinet ministers to Chequers to carry out a fundamental long-range review of defence and foreign affairs policy.

Whitehall sources confirmed that Britain's role on the United Nations Security Council was among the long-term issues reviewed at the seminar.

Britain has been under pressure to relinquish its seat on the Security Council to allow the European Union to be represented. But ministers are understood to have reaffirmed Britain's determination to maintain its place at the council.

The Prime Minister's office said John Major called the meeting, which followed a seminar at Chequers last autumn, to review Britain's place in the world into the next century. A spokesman said: "It's about how best we can promote British interests in thelong term in a changing world."

The group was also expected to reaffirm Britain's role as a nuclear power, and the Government's determination to maintain the Trident nuclear deterrent. Officials at the meeting included Field Marshal Sir Peter Inge, the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Britain's role in the future development of the EU was also covered in the summit, but officials said the forthcoming intergovernmental conference (IGC) in 1996 was not on the agenda. "That will be covered by a separate policy group of ministers," said the source.

Policy papers were submitted on defence, foreign affairs and trade. The seminar concentrated on Britain's opportunities for expanding its influence, diplomatically and through trading links. These included further arms sales, in spite of the controversy over the link between arms and aid in the Malaysian Pergau Dam project. The ministers included Kenneth Clarke, the Chancellor, who refuses to rule out a single European currency, and Michael Heseltine, the President of the Board of Trade, who at the end of the month will take a trade mission to Japan.

Douglas Hurd, the Foreign Secretary, who led the briefing, is preparing to tell constituency supporters that he has not decided to stand down, in spite of speculation caused by his remarks before Christmas.

Mr Hurd will tell his supporters in a constituency report that he feels he has much more work to do, including seeing through the preparations for the 1996 IGC and the hand-over of Hong Kong in 1997. However, it is unlikely to end the speculation that hemay still step down at the next reshuffle. Malcolm Rifkind, Secretary of State for Defence, remains the favourite to succeed him.

Others at the seminar included Jonathan Aitken, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Hunt, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, William Waldegrave, the Minister of Agriculture, Richard Needham, the Trade Minister, and Baroness Chalker, Minister for Overseas Development in charge of the aid budget.