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Order, order! Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence. Mr | :00:00. | :00:17. | |
Jonathan Reynolds. With permission, I should like to ask this question | :00:18. | :00:24. | |
together with numbers five, eight and nine. -- to answer. | :00:25. | :00:27. | |
President-elect Trump has confirmed the importance of Nato during | :00:28. | :00:32. | |
telephone calls with the Prime Minister and with the Nato Secretary | :00:33. | :00:35. | |
General. I have written to General James Mattis to congratulate him on | :00:36. | :00:41. | |
his nomination as secretary of defence and I look forward to | :00:42. | :00:43. | |
meeting him after his confirmation hearing. Thank you, Mr Speaker. | :00:44. | :00:51. | |
General James Mattis has himself warned against appeasing the Russian | :00:52. | :00:59. | |
regime and it has been stated as President Putin's intention to break | :01:00. | :01:03. | |
apart and it. Does the Minister agree we would do well to listen to | :01:04. | :01:09. | |
this general? General matters is not only an experienced combatant in | :01:10. | :01:14. | |
Iraq and Afghanistan but has since served as a Nato commander and is | :01:15. | :01:21. | |
well aware of the importance of the Alliance, but also the importance of | :01:22. | :01:26. | |
the Alliance to the United States itself, and it is the unity of the | :01:27. | :01:31. | |
alliance that sends the most powerful message to President Putin. | :01:32. | :01:37. | |
At the recent Warsaw Summit, Nato leaders made a commitment to step up | :01:38. | :01:41. | |
collective action against Daesh. What assurances has he had from the | :01:42. | :01:44. | |
incoming administration that it remains committed to that and to the | :01:45. | :01:49. | |
principle of collective defence in the work with allies in the fight | :01:50. | :01:54. | |
against Daesh? I shall be hosting the counter Daesh coalition, a | :01:55. | :01:59. | |
meeting in London on Thursday, but I have seen nothing from the incoming | :02:00. | :02:06. | |
administration's plans to indicate that they would take any different | :02:07. | :02:11. | |
approach. The United States is leading the coalition work against | :02:12. | :02:13. | |
Daesh, considerable progress has been made in Iraq, and starting to | :02:14. | :02:19. | |
be made in Syria, and Nato also has now a contribution to make to that. | :02:20. | :02:25. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the US and Nato's precision air drop | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
capability, can I ask what conversations he has had the | :02:31. | :02:32. | |
incoming US administration and whether other allies on the | :02:33. | :02:38. | |
feasibility of using this specific capability to alleviate the | :02:39. | :02:41. | |
suffering in Aleppo? We have continually examined options for | :02:42. | :02:47. | |
getting aid into Aleppo, which is now where people are in the most | :02:48. | :02:51. | |
appalling situation. It is very, it is most impossible to get food or | :02:52. | :02:59. | |
medicines in by air drop, and air defence is now controlled by Russia | :03:00. | :03:05. | |
and the Syrian regime and no permissions are forthcoming. We have | :03:06. | :03:08. | |
looked at other options such as using the airfield that is outside | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
the control of the moderate opposition, and we will continue to | :03:15. | :03:18. | |
look at all kinds of options, but it is already very, very late for | :03:19. | :03:31. | |
people in eastern Aleppo. Thank you, Mr Speaker. When I was a young | :03:32. | :03:36. | |
officer serving in the Rhine and in West Berlin, I made the assumption | :03:37. | :03:44. | |
that article five was a trigger. If anyone attacked a Nato nation, | :03:45. | :03:49. | |
automatically every state, member would go to war. I am wondering | :03:50. | :03:53. | |
whether that is exactly right now and whether we just have a | :03:54. | :03:58. | |
commitment to consult which will take much longer than an automatic | :03:59. | :04:07. | |
reversion to war. Article five was last invoked after 9/11, when the | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
rest of the Alliance pledged to do everything possible to help the | :04:13. | :04:16. | |
United States, then under the most appalling attack on the Twin Towers. | :04:17. | :04:25. | |
The answer to his question, of course, is that once article five is | :04:26. | :04:29. | |
triggered, each member state has to examine its obligations to the | :04:30. | :04:34. | |
Alliance as a whole. Before that stage, as tensions escalate, I would | :04:35. | :04:38. | |
expect the deployments that we have prepared, including the high | :04:39. | :04:45. | |
readiness task force, to be enacted. Would my right honourable friend | :04:46. | :04:49. | |
agree that the new administration will be much more interested indeed | :04:50. | :04:56. | |
-- in deeds than words when it comes to it and article five and the | :04:57. | :04:59. | |
button is setting an example for the rest of Europe, not just for the 2%, | :05:00. | :05:04. | |
but also by deployment of the troops we plan for both Poland and the | :05:05. | :05:05. | |
Baltic states? On and on my friend and also | :05:06. | :05:14. | |
president wrong's call for other European countries and do more. It | :05:15. | :05:17. | |
is true the date of the 28 members have now set in place firm plans to | :05:18. | :05:24. | |
reach the 2%. We reach the 2%, but some 19 members of Nato don't even | :05:25. | :05:28. | |
do one and a half percent. Four or five of them don't even do 1%. | :05:29. | :05:33. | |
European country members in particular of Nato have still a long | :05:34. | :05:36. | |
way to go to fulfil the pledges on which we all agreed at the summit. | :05:37. | :05:43. | |
Thank you Mr Speaker. A pleasant to read recently the work being done to | :05:44. | :05:49. | |
secure maritime security of our allies. Is it vital that the US | :05:50. | :05:55. | |
administration coming in in January that there is no such thing as a | :05:56. | :05:59. | |
periphery state in attack on one as an attack on all? Absolutely. That | :06:00. | :06:04. | |
is the principle of collective defence and that is the best | :06:05. | :06:07. | |
possible message to any further aggression from Russia. We have seen | :06:08. | :06:14. | |
a huge increase of Russian submarine activity in recent years. Indeed, | :06:15. | :06:17. | |
the threat of terrorism. We stand together. The head of MI6 warned on | :06:18. | :06:25. | |
Friday about Russian meddling on UK domestic politics. Given the | :06:26. | :06:29. | |
revelations from the CIA about the Kremlin's involvement in influencing | :06:30. | :06:37. | |
the US election, I wondered whether the Secretary of State Cattell is | :06:38. | :06:41. | |
what discussion he has had to tackle this type of hybrid warfare | :06:42. | :06:47. | |
interfering with other country's democratic processes? Yes, we have | :06:48. | :06:50. | |
seen a disturbing pattern of these allegations now direct Russian | :06:51. | :06:55. | |
interference in countries as far apart as Bulgaria, the referendum in | :06:56. | :07:00. | |
the Netherlands, continuing pressure on the Baltic states. We agreed in | :07:01. | :07:05. | |
Warsaw that both the European Union and Nato would come together to | :07:06. | :07:12. | |
cooperate on hybrid warfare and look at the techniques necessary to help | :07:13. | :07:17. | |
is all resist that pressure. From many years in this chamber people | :07:18. | :07:23. | |
have been asking why European countries who are members of Nato | :07:24. | :07:26. | |
are not spending 2% and we are always told that it is going to | :07:27. | :07:30. | |
happen, it will happen. It just doesn't seem to happen. What | :07:31. | :07:34. | |
pressure can be put on other members of Nato to fulfil their commitment? | :07:35. | :07:41. | |
We agreed this commitment back in the Wales summit back in the autumn | :07:42. | :07:46. | |
of 2014. That at least has halted the decline of defence spending | :07:47. | :07:53. | |
across the Alliance. We now seek members of the member states | :07:54. | :07:58. | |
committed to increasing it. As I said, age of the 28 actually firmly | :07:59. | :08:04. | |
planning to get up to the 2%. The transparency involved in publishing | :08:05. | :08:09. | |
the total every year in itself stiffens the arm of defence | :08:10. | :08:13. | |
ministers when they are tackling their own finance ministers. It is | :08:14. | :08:19. | |
certainly encouraging to see the increase in defence spending for the | :08:20. | :08:24. | |
countries that feel the most vulnerable. Baltic states, Bulgaria, | :08:25. | :08:31. | |
remain you. The question was what discussions has he had with | :08:32. | :08:36. | |
President elect? His answer was that the importance of Nato. The question | :08:37. | :08:44. | |
that the secretary is being asked is what does that mean? What does it | :08:45. | :08:48. | |
mean to article five? What's it mean for the principles that resident | :08:49. | :08:55. | |
ramp I going to pursue when he becomes president? -- President | :08:56. | :08:58. | |
Trump. What is the Government actually seen to president elect | :08:59. | :09:04. | |
Trump about what policies he should pursue and what are the answers that | :09:05. | :09:09. | |
the secretary of the is getting? We need a bit more than confirming the | :09:10. | :09:15. | |
importance of Nato. As a question, which I am sure a dextrous and pithy | :09:16. | :09:20. | |
reply will trot forth from the tongue of the Secretary of State. | :09:21. | :09:24. | |
Terrapin to phone calls. The president has not taken to office | :09:25. | :09:31. | |
yet. -- there have been. There is a clear understanding between art and | :09:32. | :09:35. | |
the United States administration of the importance of Nato and the | :09:36. | :09:40. | |
here and the importance of it the here and the importance of it the | :09:41. | :09:45. | |
United States itself. My colleagues and I on Labour's defence team | :09:46. | :09:50. | |
recently returned from a briefing in Brussels. We were told about plans | :09:51. | :09:59. | |
to ensure the security of the Baltic states and our Armed Forces role in | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
helping to defend Estonia. Can I pressed him further in what | :10:04. | :10:08. | |
assessment has been made of the impact of President elect Trump's | :10:09. | :10:16. | |
policies may have on the ability to trigger Article five if necessary. | :10:17. | :10:20. | |
The United States itself will be leading one of the four battalions. | :10:21. | :10:26. | |
Leaving the battalion in Poland and we will be adding a company of our | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
own troops to that battalion. We will be leading in Estonia and | :10:33. | :10:35. | |
Canada and Germany will be leading in the other two countries. We have | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
absolutely no evidence that the United States is going to alter its | :10:41. | :10:46. | |
position on that. On the contrary, in my discussions about have been | :10:47. | :10:50. | |
over the Atlantic twice in the last three weeks, in my discussions with | :10:51. | :10:55. | |
the US military and senators and congressmen who take an interest in | :10:56. | :10:59. | |
defence, they have it every reason to believe that the United States | :11:00. | :11:03. | |
will confirm its commitment to the Alliance. Question number two. We | :11:04. | :11:11. | |
have made significant progress in recent months. We're now looking at | :11:12. | :11:22. | |
the conventions of human rights. Hearts for injured and... So they do | :11:23. | :11:30. | |
not have to spend years waiting to pursue claims. We will be unable to | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
announce further measures shortly. My constituents and 87 Arnold | :11:36. | :11:44. | |
horsewhipped, a former solder, will welcome that news. If it was not for | :11:45. | :11:48. | |
the MoD submitting evidence of malpractice, and the ML today | :11:49. | :11:56. | |
casting legal aid contract, this man will still be hounding our soldier? | :11:57. | :12:01. | |
Mr Speaker, I was at the Ministry of Justice when we were revoked the | :12:02. | :12:10. | |
legal aid. It was not for this... Rigoletto authority, Mr Shiner would | :12:11. | :12:11. | |
still be probably pursuing soldiers still be probably pursuing soldiers | :12:12. | :12:19. | |
and servicemen. Probably, Mr Shiner should probably do what the | :12:20. | :12:25. | |
Secretary of State should said he should do before which was | :12:26. | :12:29. | |
apologise. As someone who has served with distinction in Northern | :12:30. | :12:35. | |
Ireland, the Secretary of State must be disgusted by the abuse of the | :12:36. | :12:39. | |
legal process against former soldiers which has impugned the | :12:40. | :12:43. | |
reputation of every single soldier that has served in Ulster over the | :12:44. | :12:48. | |
last 40 years. Will he undertake and will his apartment undertake to be | :12:49. | :12:55. | |
the person against that abuse and witchhunt and will he stand up and | :12:56. | :12:58. | |
make sure that it is stopped forthwith? I had the honour of | :12:59. | :13:05. | |
serving in the Providence and was part of the peace process that we | :13:06. | :13:12. | |
have now. Fast majority supports please forth. That is what they said | :13:13. | :13:20. | |
on the radio at the weekend. That is not new investigations, they are | :13:21. | :13:24. | |
tribute to the honourable gentleman tribute to the honourable gentleman | :13:25. | :13:29. | |
and wishing happy birthday today. I have thought that the honourable | :13:30. | :13:35. | |
member was staring in his seat. If he is sorry I will call? He is not. | :13:36. | :13:43. | |
In the last few years, some three and half soldiers have had their | :13:44. | :13:48. | |
lives wrecked by the investigations of the Iraq historic team | :13:49. | :13:54. | |
allegations team. This has been the cost of some 90 million pounds. | :13:55. | :14:04. | |
Surely now is the time we have seen deep backlist of China. Surely we | :14:05. | :14:10. | |
now bring it back? We are doing everything we can to get people to | :14:11. | :14:16. | |
come to conclusions. The vast majority of those investigations | :14:17. | :14:19. | |
will be concluded and we hope and expect the vast majority will feel | :14:20. | :14:22. | |
that there is no action to be taken. We must make sure that the | :14:23. | :14:27. | |
investigations are taking place quickly so it does not end up in | :14:28. | :14:31. | |
some European court somewhere. It is not a stick question of the enquiry | :14:32. | :14:40. | |
and the disgraceful behaviour that disreputable solicitor Phil Shiner, | :14:41. | :14:44. | |
we now are faced with the prospect of hundreds of British soldiers who | :14:45. | :14:48. | |
served in Northern Ireland again being brought before the court as | :14:49. | :14:53. | |
the honourable member said. This is really wholly unacceptable. We're | :14:54. | :14:57. | |
nearly half a century on. Men who have served their country to the | :14:58. | :15:00. | |
best of their ability should still face possible prosecution. It is not | :15:01. | :15:09. | |
good enough, it is a matter of public policy which ministers should | :15:10. | :15:10. | |
be personally accountable. I think be personally accountable. I think | :15:11. | :15:18. | |
we must make sure that the police, the police repeat, decide whether to | :15:19. | :15:24. | |
investigate something. We will help the police. We will also protect | :15:25. | :15:40. | |
them as much as possible. With a rising defence budget and an | :15:41. | :15:45. | |
equipment landmark ?178 billion over the next ten years, we are renewing | :15:46. | :15:50. | |
our capabilities. We spend up to 20% of our science and technology budget | :15:51. | :15:59. | |
on research and we have launched an big fund. The Minister will be aware | :16:00. | :16:02. | |
that the ministry had a reputation among some supplies is being | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
challenging to work with. What has the Minister done to do with SMEs in | :16:07. | :16:19. | |
Worcestershire? He is right that it can be challenging to work with the | :16:20. | :16:23. | |
Ministry of Defence procurement processes and we are particularly | :16:24. | :16:29. | |
medium-size businesses to apply for medium-size businesses to apply for | :16:30. | :16:33. | |
business with us. We want is to procure an increase from 19% of our | :16:34. | :16:39. | |
spending up to 25% of our spending from small businesses. Acting on | :16:40. | :16:43. | |
direct feedback from small businesses we've introduced a | :16:44. | :16:45. | |
network of supply chain advocates to help supply chains and their contact | :16:46. | :16:57. | |
The Minister referred to renewing The Minister referred to renewing | :16:58. | :17:01. | |
our capabilities. I asked previously about the programme to renew the | :17:02. | :17:10. | |
type 245 purple than systems. Can she tell us is there actually a | :17:11. | :17:13. | |
budget for the programme of improvement to the type 40 type | :17:14. | :17:21. | |
systems and wind as she expect all six systems to be improved? I am | :17:22. | :17:25. | |
pleased to be able to confirm that there is a budget and that there is | :17:26. | :17:28. | |
progress and that these incredibly capable ships are performing a wide | :17:29. | :17:37. | |
range of tasks and are seen to day for example, HMS daring, in the | :17:38. | :17:43. | |
Gulf. Acting as part of our deployment out there. Small firms in | :17:44. | :17:50. | |
my constituency like GSI, XO tech precision which specialise in | :17:51. | :17:55. | |
producing brilliant based about have the technology and ideas that could | :17:56. | :18:05. | |
maintain are defence advantage. When will the first competition stage | :18:06. | :18:11. | |
start? I am delighted to tell my honourable friend that I was able to | :18:12. | :18:16. | |
launch the first competition last Thursday at the University of | :18:17. | :18:20. | |
Strathclyde in Glasgow. First competition for up to ?3 million, we | :18:21. | :18:25. | |
are looking for new ways of exploring data to inform decisions. | :18:26. | :18:29. | |
Does not sound like exactly this area of specialisation as that | :18:30. | :18:34. | |
business, but there will of course be further competitions and of | :18:35. | :18:40. | |
course open application for a wide range of different ideas to be fed | :18:41. | :18:47. | |
indirectly. No one would neither does is vitally important that we do | :18:48. | :18:51. | |
what we can encourage innovation in the defence sector, but in order to | :18:52. | :18:58. | |
foster that environment, business and industry has two trust what it | :18:59. | :19:01. | |
is told by the Government. Given that, would she take the opportunity | :19:02. | :19:05. | |
to explain to the shipbuilding industry exactly why the copper | :19:06. | :19:07. | |
bottom assurances that she gave on bottom assurances that she gave on | :19:08. | :19:11. | |
four occasions that the national shipbuilding strategy will be | :19:12. | :19:13. | |
published before the Autumn Statement, didn't deliver? Mr | :19:14. | :19:22. | |
Speaker, did you pick up in that question any congratulations and a | :19:23. | :19:25. | |
light from the fact that I was at the shipyards in on the Clyde last | :19:26. | :19:32. | |
Thursday cutting steel for two new offshore patrol vessels? Mr Speaker, | :19:33. | :19:38. | |
I remain astonished at the very grudging way in which the Scottish | :19:39. | :19:42. | |
National Party fails to recognise the billions of pounds of work that | :19:43. | :19:45. | |
is being sent to shipyards in the Clyde. For the record, I absolutely | :19:46. | :19:54. | |
delighted that they are being built on the Clyde. Now, will she take | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
this opportunity to apologise to the workers and management across the UK | :20:00. | :20:05. | |
shipbuilding industry for the misleading and contradictory | :20:06. | :20:08. | |
statement that have come from the Ministry of Defence over the last | :20:09. | :20:11. | |
few months? And would she take this opportunity to explain why the ship | :20:12. | :20:15. | |
building strategy did not appear when you promised it would appear? | :20:16. | :20:22. | |
It is lucky he gets a supplementary, isn't it? Some very grudging words | :20:23. | :20:30. | |
of welcome for the fact we have just announced two decades worth of work | :20:31. | :20:36. | |
on the Type 26 frigates in Scotland and he is complaining about the lack | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
of publication of a report which was published, Mr Speaker, and the | :20:41. | :20:45. | |
Government is going to provide its respond next year. -- its response. | :20:46. | :20:49. | |
The report on Shipperley was published on the 29th of November. I | :20:50. | :20:52. | |
shall send him a personally signed copy! He is a very excitable person | :20:53. | :21:01. | |
in this hass-mac and I am not sure he has quite attained the apogee of | :21:02. | :21:04. | |
statesmanship to which he aspires. -- in this House. Let us hear from a | :21:05. | :21:17. | |
calm person. Maria Miller. The Minister's focus on innovation is | :21:18. | :21:20. | |
absolutely right. Wilshere look at the excellent work of the National | :21:21. | :21:27. | |
Aerospace Exploitation Programme, who are all ready running | :21:28. | :21:31. | |
infrastructure projects and how she can help finish this work? You are | :21:32. | :21:37. | |
right call the honourable member for Basingstoke, who is such -- who has | :21:38. | :21:43. | |
asked such a calm and helpful question. She will also be familiar | :21:44. | :21:47. | |
with the work done by the defence growth partnership at Farnborough, | :21:48. | :21:51. | |
and a fantastic way in which they also work to promote the excellence | :21:52. | :21:55. | |
of the UK aerospace industry to people all around the world. Number | :21:56. | :22:04. | |
four Mac Mr Speaker. The Royal air made a vital contribution to counter | :22:05. | :22:10. | |
Daesh coalition, carrying out 192 strikes in Iraq and 75 strikes in | :22:11. | :22:16. | |
Syria and providing intelligence, surveillance and respondents. The | :22:17. | :22:21. | |
RAF has helped Iraqi forces reclaimed significant territory, | :22:22. | :22:26. | |
including British to liberate Mosul. In Syria, the RAF has already | :22:27. | :22:29. | |
attacked Daesh's capitol in Raqqa while supporting opposition groups | :22:30. | :22:34. | |
pushing back Daesh on the ground. The RAF is making real progress in | :22:35. | :22:38. | |
tackling Daesh in Iraq and Syria and our thoughts at this time must be | :22:39. | :22:43. | |
with our brave servicemen and women. Once Mosul has been liberated by the | :22:44. | :22:48. | |
Iraqi Government, what role does the Secretary of State and dissipate for | :22:49. | :22:53. | |
the RAF in Iraq? Well, we shall be reviewing that the military | :22:54. | :22:57. | |
commanders progress in Iraq and Syria at the counter Daesh coalition | :22:58. | :23:03. | |
meeting in London on Thursday. And mapping out a road to longer term | :23:04. | :23:08. | |
peace in Iraq, including potential future deployments in different | :23:09. | :23:13. | |
parts of Iraq that may help to continue the training that we have | :23:14. | :23:20. | |
been offering Iraqi forces, and further work on counterterrorism. We | :23:21. | :23:25. | |
will also be discussing the need to control the spread of the return of | :23:26. | :23:31. | |
foreign fighters from Iraq and indeed from Syria to the different | :23:32. | :23:39. | |
countries that they came from. At a time when the RAF is at full stretch | :23:40. | :23:42. | |
on operations, the Secretary of State will be as concerned as I was | :23:43. | :23:46. | |
to hear the announcement that RAF Halton is to be closed, because it | :23:47. | :23:53. | |
seems to have been sprung on the civilian military personnel in order | :23:54. | :23:59. | |
to meet the local council deadline. Can he reassure personnel on Tyne | :24:00. | :24:01. | |
skill and staff support so this decision does not create a serious | :24:02. | :24:15. | |
retention risk? At causing some of the bases in their fields we no | :24:16. | :24:18. | |
longer need, they have been taken on the basis of military capability and | :24:19. | :24:22. | |
on the advice of the service chiefs. I'm sure the whole House will join | :24:23. | :24:27. | |
with my honourable friend and with the honourable lady in paying | :24:28. | :24:32. | |
tribute to the work of the RAF, a sustained tempo of operations, | :24:33. | :24:36. | |
probably at the highest for over 25 years and the enormous job they are | :24:37. | :24:40. | |
doing to help keep our country safe. Can I not press the Defence | :24:41. | :24:47. | |
Secretary on the level of defeatism in the statement that it is nearly | :24:48. | :24:51. | |
impossible to bridges successful airdrops of Russia does not allow | :24:52. | :24:56. | |
it? -- to envisage. Russia does not want to trigger a conflict with the | :24:57. | :25:04. | |
UK and our Nato allies. The longer that this essentially Howedes goes | :25:05. | :25:10. | |
on, in the face of the posturing, the more they will push -- | :25:11. | :25:15. | |
cowardice, and the harder it will be for any result to come to the | :25:16. | :25:19. | |
dreadful tragedy that is happening in that country. We continue to look | :25:20. | :25:23. | |
at every possibility of getting either food or medicine into Aleppo | :25:24. | :25:26. | |
or into some of the other besieged areas. But it is not simply a | :25:27. | :25:30. | |
question of Russian permission, we also have two make sure that any | :25:31. | :25:36. | |
drops are feasible, considering the vulnerability of aircraft to ground | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
to air defence systems as well. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary | :25:44. | :25:48. | |
of State said it was very late for the people of eastern Aleppo, but it | :25:49. | :25:53. | |
is not. Those RAF planes could be providing humanitarian airdrops. | :25:54. | :25:57. | |
There are 200 members in this House who have signed a letter calling for | :25:58. | :26:02. | |
this leading humanitarian organisations, will he look at it | :26:03. | :26:06. | |
again? We have continued to look almost daily at the various ways in | :26:07. | :26:09. | |
which we might be able to get food and aid in. It is not possible in a | :26:10. | :26:14. | |
contested aerospace with ground to air missile systems and Russian | :26:15. | :26:18. | |
aircraft flying overhead denying position -- promotion. It is not | :26:19. | :26:22. | |
possible to fly coalition aircraft over Aleppo and without that | :26:23. | :26:27. | |
security, we are unable to drop food where it is most needed, but we | :26:28. | :26:33. | |
continue to look at all the options. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like | :26:34. | :26:37. | |
to thank the Secretary of State or his answer on Aleppo to the member | :26:38. | :26:43. | |
for Barnsley Central and reference the RF capabilities that my | :26:44. | :26:46. | |
honourable friend mentioned, but I do share the concerns raised by my | :26:47. | :26:51. | |
honourable friends from Barrow and Cardiff South, that we really do | :26:52. | :26:56. | |
need to look at this one again. Can I ask the Secretary of State if he | :26:57. | :27:00. | |
will continue and will not at any stage give up on looking at any way | :27:01. | :27:05. | |
that we can alleviate the terrible suffering that is going on in East | :27:06. | :27:11. | |
Aleppo? I can give her that assurance and we continue to look at | :27:12. | :27:16. | |
these options, to talk to the NGOs who are willing to help us provide | :27:17. | :27:21. | |
food and medicine, and some food and medicine is going into other cities | :27:22. | :27:25. | |
in Syria, but not into Aleppo itself. Simply because of the | :27:26. | :27:30. | |
impossibility of flying aircraft in that airspace over Aleppo and a very | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
real risk of aircraft being shot down. Question number six. The Armed | :27:36. | :27:46. | |
Forces are Britain's biggest provider of apprenticeships. We have | :27:47. | :27:50. | |
around 20,000 apprentices on programmes at any one time ranging | :27:51. | :27:53. | |
from engineering and IT to construction and driving. Defence | :27:54. | :27:57. | |
has pledged to stop 50 dozen apprenticeships during this | :27:58. | :28:01. | |
Parliament and will seize the new opportunity to work with the | :28:02. | :28:03. | |
Department for Education, expanding and improving the current ranges of | :28:04. | :28:08. | |
apprenticeships we offer. I think the Minister for his reply. What | :28:09. | :28:18. | |
assurance can he give my residents who may want to take up the | :28:19. | :28:22. | |
opportunity at the Minister defence that they offer a quality as well as | :28:23. | :28:26. | |
quantity? She is right to focus on quality and I'm delighted to say | :28:27. | :28:30. | |
that at the last Ofsted inspections, both the Army and the Naval Service | :28:31. | :28:35. | |
were graded as being good with some individual programmes being | :28:36. | :28:38. | |
outstanding and the Royal Forest's programme was graded as outstanding. | :28:39. | :28:46. | |
Fashion at the force's. The Minister mentioned the Department for | :28:47. | :28:49. | |
Education and if I look at the Government website, it refers to | :28:50. | :28:52. | |
England. Could he ushered me that a printer ships are available | :28:53. | :28:54. | |
throughout the United Kingdom for people who are in default | :28:55. | :28:58. | |
Administration is worth apprenticeships are devolved to the | :28:59. | :29:02. | |
Scottish Robert, the Northern Ireland Assembly, or the Welsh | :29:03. | :29:06. | |
Assembly? We are always happy to work with double December I can | :29:07. | :29:10. | |
reassure the honourable gentleman that apprenticeships are available | :29:11. | :29:14. | |
to all Armed Forces personnel. Mr Speaker, can that can thank the | :29:15. | :29:17. | |
Secretary of State for coming to my constituency on Friday to open the | :29:18. | :29:24. | |
Type 26 facility, where he met and spoke to some of the many young | :29:25. | :29:28. | |
apprentices at our working on that, and well he and his ministers | :29:29. | :29:33. | |
continue to make sure that quality apprenticeships are a key part of | :29:34. | :29:38. | |
the defence Supply chain? My honourable friend makes a very good | :29:39. | :29:42. | |
point indeed, I understand the visit was a great success. Absolutely, as | :29:43. | :29:47. | |
we begin to look forward, I think it is not just about having | :29:48. | :29:50. | |
apprenticeships within the Armed Forces, but also part of that | :29:51. | :29:53. | |
transition when our service personnel leave that we have a duty | :29:54. | :29:56. | |
to prepare them for potentially going to work in the supply chain | :29:57. | :30:01. | |
after the service, because this is a partnership with the industry. This | :30:02. | :30:08. | |
time last week, our defence team were at BAE Systems on the Clyde and | :30:09. | :30:11. | |
talking to apprentices on the future, what reassurances can he | :30:12. | :30:15. | |
give to be skilled young men and women who are waiting to hear if the | :30:16. | :30:20. | |
promised type 31s will be built on the Clyde in their entirety? I think | :30:21. | :30:26. | |
it is worth remembering that probably be apprentices -- the | :30:27. | :30:30. | |
apprentice who will work in the last 26 is yet to be born but we continue | :30:31. | :30:33. | |
to work closely with the industry and I think as my honourable friend | :30:34. | :30:39. | |
said a few months ago, investment has been made in Scotland over many | :30:40. | :30:42. | |
years to come, and it should be celebrated. Number seven, Mr | :30:43. | :30:51. | |
Speaker. The security review of 2015 committed to us -- committed us to | :30:52. | :30:58. | |
the force meeting future threats. By having the best mix of challengers | :30:59. | :31:01. | |
to tax and multipurpose armoured vehicles to deliver the army's | :31:02. | :31:05. | |
contribution for future threats. We are planning to spend ?700 million | :31:06. | :31:13. | |
to expand the capability to 2035. I thank him for that answer while we | :31:14. | :31:19. | |
should warmly welcome the very large order for the Ajax fighting vehicles | :31:20. | :31:22. | |
does he accept that these will be no match for the armour and the | :31:23. | :31:27. | |
armament of enemy main battle tanks? Will he therefore confirm how many | :31:28. | :31:35. | |
of our existing 227 tanks will go forward to the challenge to life | :31:36. | :31:40. | |
extension programme, bearing in mind the need to have capacity for | :31:41. | :31:44. | |
regeneration in the event of a crisis? My honourable friend knows | :31:45. | :31:51. | |
very well, because he is chair for the Defence Select Committee, it | :31:52. | :31:56. | |
would be for the military to decide exactly what the capabilities are in | :31:57. | :32:02. | |
each way. By having ?700 million available going for a Challenger, | :32:03. | :32:08. | |
that shows a clear commitment. While I support having a diversity of | :32:09. | :32:14. | |
vehicles available, there are reports the Army planning to reduce | :32:15. | :32:18. | |
the number of tanks by a third at a time when Russia has announced new | :32:19. | :32:22. | |
generation of vehicles, and ours will reduce to 170. Does the | :32:23. | :32:26. | |
Minister not agree that this is not the right time to be putting this | :32:27. | :32:32. | |
announcement for it and it sends completely the wrong message? The | :32:33. | :32:38. | |
interesting thing is, we should not believe everything we read in the | :32:39. | :32:41. | |
press, not least as a former journalist. But what I would say is | :32:42. | :32:48. | |
that we need to trust the Armed Forces in terms of what they want, | :32:49. | :32:52. | |
and a Russian tank, which I think is what he is alluding too, is an | :32:53. | :32:57. | |
unmanned vehicle. We need to make sure that the innovation adoption is | :32:58. | :33:00. | |
there. I would have thought there would have been more cheer from the | :33:01. | :33:05. | |
Labour benches because the Ajax vehicle is being built in Wales. The | :33:06. | :33:16. | |
Minister has mentioned the Ajax vehicle. When he was a minister, | :33:17. | :33:22. | |
David Cameron announced that the Ajax fighting vehicle would be a | :33:23. | :33:26. | |
boost for British manufacturing. Many of the vehicles will be | :33:27. | :33:31. | |
assembled in Merthyr Tydfil. The vehicles are being built using | :33:32. | :33:38. | |
Swedish deal and will have the hull is built in Spain. Some will be | :33:39. | :33:40. | |
completely built in Spain. Therefore, does he think that David | :33:41. | :33:45. | |
Cameron was somewhat inaccurate in his statement? I do not think so, Mr | :33:46. | :33:53. | |
Speaker. The issue here is about jobs in Wales, which are going to | :33:54. | :33:57. | |
come to Merthyr Tydfil, and making sure the Army had the vehicle they | :33:58. | :34:01. | |
wanted, that is what this government will guarantee. Unless the Liberal | :34:02. | :34:07. | |
Party can committed 2% of GDP, they will never get that expenditure, | :34:08. | :34:15. | |
ever. -- the Labour Party. Mr Speaker, next year we will be | :34:16. | :34:21. | |
sending nearly 800 troops to list on, 150 personnel of the Light | :34:22. | :34:26. | |
Dragoons to:, leading to the high readiness task force. -- to Poland. | :34:27. | :34:30. | |
Undertaking air policing based in Romania with the typhoons we are | :34:31. | :34:36. | |
committing to Nato. Can I welcome the Government's commitment in | :34:37. | :34:39. | |
particular to the polished Prime Minister last month of additional UK | :34:40. | :34:44. | |
troops and armoured vehicles -- Polish Prime Minister, in the face | :34:45. | :34:46. | |
of concerns around the Russian threat and does he agree that we | :34:47. | :34:49. | |
should stand shoulder to shoulder with our Polish friends and this | :34:50. | :34:53. | |
shows how Britain can be even stronger European high irrespective | :34:54. | :34:54. | |
of Brexit? I had extensive talks of the Polish | :34:55. | :35:03. | |
defence Minister and its colleagues and they were absolutely thrilled | :35:04. | :35:06. | |
that we were committed to being with which is what came out of the | :35:07. | :35:13. | |
statement. I can say that many people are looking forward to it. On | :35:14. | :35:22. | |
the day that we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ending of the | :35:23. | :35:25. | |
USSR, and we do more to educate our USSR, and we do more to educate | :35:26. | :35:28. | |
people about the importance of people about the importance of | :35:29. | :35:32. | |
defending the security of those states that reading their | :35:33. | :35:39. | |
independence, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and were able to make a | :35:40. | :35:45. | |
free democratic decision to join with Nato. In end the nonsense that | :35:46. | :36:01. | |
it prevails that Nato was not bad. He is as keen to listen to other | :36:02. | :36:10. | |
people as themselves. The whole success of Nato is it is free for | :36:11. | :36:12. | |
countries to join. He is right to countries to join. He is right to | :36:13. | :36:16. | |
say that the countries that he alluded to, particularly Latvia and | :36:17. | :36:19. | |
Estonia are particularly worried about their protection. It is not | :36:20. | :36:22. | |
like the British Army in the Rhine which I have the privilege of | :36:23. | :36:25. | |
serving with Bowie sat very static over long periods of time. We're. | :36:26. | :36:36. | |
Delete Mac... -- serving with who are very static. With other members | :36:37. | :36:44. | |
of the alliance. Will the Minister on the half of the Secretary of | :36:45. | :36:47. | |
State assure me that the next time that usually to the fruit next | :36:48. | :36:53. | |
leader of the free world that they might start reading their briefings | :36:54. | :37:01. | |
daily and do us all a favour? I am sure that the future president of | :37:02. | :37:04. | |
the United States will read this CIA briefings when he becomes the | :37:05. | :37:10. | |
president of the United States. I am sure you have seen the press | :37:11. | :37:13. | |
future President of the United future President of the United | :37:14. | :37:16. | |
States doesn't necessarily believe everything that he has been told in | :37:17. | :37:23. | |
the press. The additional support is very welcome, but for our land | :37:24. | :37:30. | |
forces this requires more money. Will it be made available to train | :37:31. | :37:38. | |
with the capability? They have the money required. Take a leap when I | :37:39. | :37:43. | |
visited them and the Rifleman that we will to be deploying to Poland. | :37:44. | :37:51. | |
We will review the equivalent that they have particularly with the | :37:52. | :37:55. | |
clement weather in Poland that that is fit for purpose. I am proud to | :37:56. | :38:06. | |
say the first time in a generation that Royal Navy is growing and this | :38:07. | :38:14. | |
Government is going to promote our prosperity around the world. It can | :38:15. | :38:19. | |
be seen for the personnel numbers. Elizabeth aircraft carriers and | :38:20. | :38:29. | |
freedom destroyers and new ships by 2030. Do you agree that to fulfil | :38:30. | :38:35. | |
the Government's commitment to increase the size of the fleet 's | :38:36. | :38:47. | |
persistent elite Mac -- won the year do you agree to the? Having been on | :38:48. | :38:53. | |
a type 23 only in the last couple of weeks when we were shadowing a | :38:54. | :38:57. | |
Russian aircraft character in the channel, it is hard to underestimate | :38:58. | :39:09. | |
the abilities of the ships. We'll make sure the new frigates do just | :39:10. | :39:17. | |
as well. Can the Minister say if the new R F a ships will be built in the | :39:18. | :39:23. | |
UK and if so, will he give a further commitment to buying British and | :39:24. | :39:29. | |
guarantee the use of British steel to build these ships? In a report | :39:30. | :39:34. | |
last week, it is importantly stated that the best value for the Navy is | :39:35. | :39:37. | |
what we need to do. Also that the best shipyards bid for the work and | :39:38. | :39:44. | |
bidded. Let's see who wins. Will you bidded. Let's see who wins. Will you | :39:45. | :39:53. | |
expect to be able to publish the maintenance options for these ships? | :39:54. | :39:57. | |
Also is Portsmouth being considered some of these welcome new ships? We | :39:58. | :40:02. | |
welcome the bids and the bids that are coming forward. As soon as we | :40:03. | :40:08. | |
can announce it short we will. We are looking forward to the new | :40:09. | :40:13. | |
frigates. Other countries what are old ones. Today I received my first | :40:14. | :40:20. | |
camera. January featured HMS Ocean. camera. January featured HMS Ocean. | :40:21. | :40:29. | |
-- calendar. After years of -- calendar. After years of | :40:30. | :40:36. | |
impressive service over the last 18 months, how does add to the strength | :40:37. | :40:47. | |
to our Navy? Document is not my area, I am reliably informed that | :40:48. | :40:50. | |
she was always due to go out of service. She has done fantastic | :40:51. | :40:56. | |
work, she has done great work and so has the crew. Her time will come to | :40:57. | :41:01. | |
an end and she will go into thousand and 18. -- 2018. The publication of | :41:02. | :41:16. | |
the National ship building strategy answer was simply not good enough. | :41:17. | :41:20. | |
Not good enough for our Royal Navy or workers in the shipbuilding area. | :41:21. | :41:25. | |
The fact is that on the 29th of November Government only published | :41:26. | :41:31. | |
John Parker's independent review to inform the strategy. When just last | :41:32. | :41:35. | |
year, the Government promised to publish a new shipbuilding strategy | :41:36. | :41:41. | |
in 2016. With just six Parliamentary days to go to the end of the year, | :41:42. | :41:44. | |
can the Minister explain exactly can the Minister explain exactly | :41:45. | :41:51. | |
when we going to see that strategy? I do find it slightly difficult | :41:52. | :41:54. | |
being lectured on defence procurement by a party that won't | :41:55. | :41:59. | |
even commit themselves to 2% GDP. The key to this is making sure we've | :42:00. | :42:04. | |
got these ships built in the shipyards, the present is we need | :42:05. | :42:07. | |
and that the whole community benefits from it. I don't know where | :42:08. | :42:11. | |
the minister gets his information from. I don't know if he reads the | :42:12. | :42:15. | |
whole debate or listens to what we have been saying very clearly from | :42:16. | :42:18. | |
the dispatch box that we are fully committed to a 2% spend on GDP to | :42:19. | :42:24. | |
meet our Nato commitments and spend it on defence as is required. Can we | :42:25. | :42:30. | |
now perhaps turn to add more specific issue about the naval fleet | :42:31. | :42:36. | |
and the particular those type 26 frigates which have faced very long | :42:37. | :42:41. | |
delays and with all the attendant risks and capabilities. Our defence | :42:42. | :42:47. | |
recently said that our ship building strategy must include strict | :42:48. | :42:50. | |
timelines for the delivery of the new frigates and the general-purpose | :42:51. | :42:55. | |
frigates. Can the Minister confirm that it really will include those | :42:56. | :43:02. | |
details? I did some research and it appears the Labour Government | :43:03. | :43:10. | |
started looking at type 26 ships in 19 97. The seniors in Government and | :43:11. | :43:18. | |
Speaker, with increasing demands for Speaker, with increasing demands for | :43:19. | :43:21. | |
frigates worldwide, does my honourable friend agree with Sir | :43:22. | :43:27. | |
John Parker that we should focus on building ships that other countries | :43:28. | :43:33. | |
likely want to buy, something that the Royal Navy has refused to do in | :43:34. | :43:41. | |
the past. Yes. Type 26 is not just for our Navy, but for one around the | :43:42. | :43:43. | |
world. It will be exactly the kind world. It will be exactly the kind | :43:44. | :43:47. | |
of chip that will replace the 26 around the world we get the build | :43:48. | :43:51. | |
right and get out there. Which is right and get out there. Which is | :43:52. | :43:56. | |
In a in a rather -- Iraq, more than In a in a rather -- Iraq, more than | :43:57. | :44:14. | |
31,000 Iraqi troops trained by the UK encounter IDE engineering and | :44:15. | :44:20. | |
medical skills. Interior, coalition security helped push Daesh back and | :44:21. | :44:24. | |
is now taking the fight to Daesh's heartland. When my right honourable | :44:25. | :44:29. | |
friend meets many of his friend meets many of his | :44:30. | :44:33. | |
counterparts later this week, these confirmed that he will focus this | :44:34. | :44:36. | |
discussion on how the threat of Daesh can be defeated in Iraq. Yes. | :44:37. | :44:43. | |
We will be reviewing the military progress which is being made which | :44:44. | :44:48. | |
is substantial in a ruck. Daesh have less than 10% of right now. We will | :44:49. | :44:53. | |
also be mapping out the long-term plan to bring decent stability to | :44:54. | :44:58. | |
western Iraq and we will also be working as a coalition to monitor | :44:59. | :45:04. | |
the dispersal of Daesh fighters from Iraq who may be moving to other | :45:05. | :45:13. | |
theatres. We have seen Daesh move into Palmyra this week. Does that | :45:14. | :45:19. | |
show a lack of a cohesive strategy? We had a debate about air strikes | :45:20. | :45:23. | |
and more boots on the ground. The Secretary of State 's and the | :45:24. | :45:27. | |
Minister were arguing strongly filler. We will see the countless | :45:28. | :45:33. | |
slaughter of individuals carry on, otherwise. There is not any support | :45:34. | :45:38. | |
at the United Nations for the deployment of UN troops in Syria. | :45:39. | :45:42. | |
There may not be support in this house for the deployment of British | :45:43. | :45:47. | |
troops on the ground in combat in Syria. Our onus is to provide | :45:48. | :45:50. | |
intelligence gathering from the air and the air strikes on the ground. I | :45:51. | :45:55. | |
can tell that the second front has begun to be opened up now with a | :45:56. | :46:02. | |
move by the Syrian democratic forces onto the city which is in effect the | :46:03. | :46:09. | |
capital which began last week. How many fighters have originated from | :46:10. | :46:16. | |
the United Kingdom been killed in the various regions? Hammer your | :46:17. | :46:18. | |
main? And how many have returned to the United Kingdom? -- how many | :46:19. | :46:28. | |
British fighters still remain in British fighters still remain in | :46:29. | :46:35. | |
either Iraq or Syria. There are many thousand foreign fighters altogether | :46:36. | :46:37. | |
from Western Europe and further afield. One of the issues we will be | :46:38. | :46:41. | |
considering this week is how we properly monitor their dispersal | :46:42. | :46:48. | |
either to other theatres or back to our respective countries. Those who | :46:49. | :46:50. | |
have fought for a prescribed have fought for a prescribed | :46:51. | :46:54. | |
organisation like Daesh can be finally brought to justice. | :46:55. | :47:06. | |
This Government is committed to increasing the defence budget by | :47:07. | :47:12. | |
0.5% a year in real terms as well as increasing our equipment budget by | :47:13. | :47:20. | |
1% above 2020. This means more ships, planes and cutting edge | :47:21. | :47:27. | |
clerk is I'm on the receiving end of clerk is I'm on the receiving end of | :47:28. | :47:37. | |
his advice. Can I just say that the letter to which reference was made | :47:38. | :47:42. | |
is strictly speaking a letter to the house and for its benefit. So, | :47:43. | :47:46. | |
notwithstanding the motivation of the right honourable gentleman | :47:47. | :47:51. | |
saying you needn't write, if I may say with a very greatest of respect | :47:52. | :47:57. | |
that is not for the right honourable member to judge. The letter is for | :47:58. | :48:02. | |
the house's anything. If the right honourable gentleman is | :48:03. | :48:06. | |
disinterested, others might be interested. We will leave it there. | :48:07. | :48:20. | |
The Oracle member says where will we find it. Go along to the library, | :48:21. | :48:27. | |
man! We will be providing the best possible equipment and that standard | :48:28. | :48:31. | |
will net that will be equipment developed and manufactured in the | :48:32. | :48:36. | |
United Kingdom? My honourable friend is right that we do need to focus on | :48:37. | :48:43. | |
the best equipment. Getting the best capability for our Armed Forces. We | :48:44. | :48:45. | |
will also seek the best value for money for the taxpayer. We will also | :48:46. | :48:52. | |
seek to get the UK content as strong as possible. For example, with the | :48:53. | :48:55. | |
35, 15% of the 3000 planes in the 35, 15% of the 3000 planes in the | :48:56. | :49:02. | |
global programme I made in the north-west and the UK has been | :49:03. | :49:06. | |
selected as the global repair hub for a large number of elements for | :49:07. | :49:08. | |
the maintenance repair overhaul and upgrade for these fantastic | :49:09. | :49:22. | |
vehicles. There is an success in our operations against Daesh. As I told | :49:23. | :49:28. | |
the house on Thursday, I will chair the house from across the coalition | :49:29. | :49:37. | |
against Daesh. In Iraq, Syria, and mapping out plans for peace and | :49:38. | :49:42. | |
stability in the region. On Saturday, I visited my constituent, | :49:43. | :49:46. | |
27-year-old father of two, a brave RAF serviceman who is -- who has | :49:47. | :49:56. | |
given service but now was dying of bowel cancer. He has now taken on | :49:57. | :49:59. | |
another challenge, taking on this team doesn't pound is for the | :50:00. | :50:03. | |
hospice. Will the Secretary of State join with me to paying tribute to | :50:04. | :50:09. | |
him for pain service for us and raises much money? | :50:10. | :50:15. | |
He is an airman of the highest calibre who has supported our | :50:16. | :50:20. | |
operations in Afghanistan and indeed in Libya. His wife and young | :50:21. | :50:24. | |
daughter should be in no doubt about the highest regard that the Royal | :50:25. | :50:28. | |
Air Force holds him and I think we all impressed and inspired by the | :50:29. | :50:31. | |
courage he has shown from his sick in losing so much money for the | :50:32. | :50:40. | |
hospice. Following the Government's announcement of base closures, what | :50:41. | :50:45. | |
guarantees does the Ministry of Defence give to civilian staff | :50:46. | :50:50. | |
regarding their future employment? As he knows, and I think supported | :50:51. | :50:55. | |
at the time, we have had to reduce the number of bases to ensure that | :50:56. | :51:00. | |
our service men and women are in better accommodation, in fewer | :51:01. | :51:04. | |
remote areas and in places where they have more chance of their | :51:05. | :51:12. | |
spouses getting into, or partners getting into employment. Obviously | :51:13. | :51:16. | |
the civilian jobs that may be affected, we have set out the quite | :51:17. | :51:20. | |
generous timescales for discussion and these moves are not immediate | :51:21. | :51:24. | |
and we will certainly do everything we can to ensure those civilians are | :51:25. | :51:31. | |
properly looked after. What steps is he taking to increase Britain's | :51:32. | :51:35. | |
defence representation around the world, to promote our security and | :51:36. | :51:39. | |
prosperity? I can tell him that we have this yet established regional | :51:40. | :51:45. | |
defence staff in the Gulf, based in Dubai, in Asia Pacific based in | :51:46. | :51:50. | |
Singapore, and in Africa based in Abuja. That fulfils the defence | :51:51. | :51:54. | |
engagement commitment we made in the Strategic Defence Review last year | :51:55. | :51:58. | |
and these new regional defence staffs will work with our | :51:59. | :52:02. | |
international partners to protect and advance our interests by | :52:03. | :52:05. | |
reinforcing bilateral and multilateral defence relationships. | :52:06. | :52:11. | |
I welcome the role that UK forces will play in Estonia as part of | :52:12. | :52:14. | |
Nato's forward presence. It is vitally important we provide | :52:15. | :52:18. | |
reassurance in facing the threat from Russia. Can the Minister | :52:19. | :52:21. | |
outline further what more steps we will be taking to bulls to security | :52:22. | :52:25. | |
in the Baltic states and in Poland? -- to bolster. Our allies in Nato | :52:26. | :52:31. | |
look very carefully at what we can do and where we can do it. Other | :52:32. | :52:35. | |
nations are also guiding us, the French are coming with us to | :52:36. | :52:40. | |
Estonia, 200 troops in the first six months, but as I said earlier, we | :52:41. | :52:47. | |
will look carefully as a coalition, as to what capabilities we need and | :52:48. | :52:51. | |
where we need them and we will step up to the mark, like we always do. | :52:52. | :52:58. | |
Is he able to offer any hope that 2017 will be a better year for | :52:59. | :53:02. | |
soldiers who either have been or are being investigated for decisions | :53:03. | :53:06. | |
taken in the heat of battle, particularly Marine Sergeant | :53:07. | :53:08. | |
Blackman, who faces another Christmas in jail? The MoD has and | :53:09. | :53:12. | |
will continue to cooperate with the legal process now this case has | :53:13. | :53:16. | |
moved to the court Martial appeal Court. I think it would be | :53:17. | :53:22. | |
inappropriate to comment. What assessment has the Government made | :53:23. | :53:25. | |
to the threat of the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia, and what | :53:26. | :53:30. | |
action is Britain taking with Nato allies to resist this? Russia has | :53:31. | :53:39. | |
chosen to deploy missiles in the Kaliningrad area that it controls. | :53:40. | :53:45. | |
Part of the purpose of our deployment next year of troops in | :53:46. | :53:49. | |
Estonia and in Poland and our deployment of the REF Typhoons down | :53:50. | :53:57. | |
to Romania is to reassure our allies -- Rafah, that we all in Nato | :53:58. | :54:01. | |
absolutely stand by the right to collective defence and we will | :54:02. | :54:05. | |
continue, it only to reassure but also make it very clear to Russia | :54:06. | :54:10. | |
that we will come to the end of any -- to the aid of any member state | :54:11. | :54:14. | |
who is attacked. As we approach Christmas, a time which many members | :54:15. | :54:17. | |
of our Armed Forces will spend away from their families, will he join | :54:18. | :54:23. | |
with me in thanking them and their families all they do to protect us | :54:24. | :54:27. | |
in this country and for the sacrifices they all make? It is very | :54:28. | :54:34. | |
appropriate as the Armed Forces Minister to ask the House to join me | :54:35. | :54:39. | |
in wishing all of our Armed Forces a very Merry Christmas, and their | :54:40. | :54:42. | |
families and loved ones as well, and that they all come home safe. This | :54:43. | :54:49. | |
is what all our intentions must be. Does the Minister support the | :54:50. | :54:52. | |
recommendation that the construction of the type 31 frigate being opened | :54:53. | :54:57. | |
up to a much wider range of defence contractors, rather than just BAA | :54:58. | :55:01. | |
systems and that in doing so we can and the defence cartel and raise | :55:02. | :55:06. | |
more competition? I would like to thank the honourable member for | :55:07. | :55:12. | |
having read that report, I think it is an excellent report, with thanks | :55:13. | :55:16. | |
John Parker for that report and his 34 recommendations the government | :55:17. | :55:20. | |
will be replying to those in the spring of 2017. In my constituency, | :55:21. | :55:29. | |
97% of the outdated junior rank accommodation has the worst grading | :55:30. | :55:34. | |
has been condemned. Will my honourable friend meet me to discuss | :55:35. | :55:38. | |
meeting the approved requirement as has already been determined? I will | :55:39. | :55:43. | |
be delighted to meet, I can however tell my honourable friend I am | :55:44. | :55:47. | |
pleased to report that a funded programme to rebuild and repair the | :55:48. | :55:52. | |
five worst accommodation blocks will start next year and be completed by | :55:53. | :55:59. | |
2023. We have already heard how a Russian military activity in support | :56:00. | :56:03. | |
of the Assad regime is preventing aid getting into Aleppo, but it is | :56:04. | :56:08. | |
also preventing civilians who wish to leave and medics getting out | :56:09. | :56:13. | |
safely. What steps are we taking with our allies and what discussions | :56:14. | :56:18. | |
are we having to ensure safe passage in this intolerable situation? It is | :56:19. | :56:23. | |
an intolerable situation for hospitals are being bombed, | :56:24. | :56:26. | |
humanitarian aid convoys are being attacked and it is very clear that | :56:27. | :56:32. | |
Russia and the Syrian regime are not prepared to allow the aid that | :56:33. | :56:39. | |
should get in to get in. Further discussions about this have been | :56:40. | :56:42. | |
taking this in Paris and the Foreign Ministers met on Saturday and there | :56:43. | :56:45. | |
will be further discussions in the days ahead, but until Russia lifts | :56:46. | :56:51. | |
its bar on getting aid into those parts of eastern Aleppo, my fear is | :56:52. | :56:57. | |
that a large number of people are going to die. Will the Secretary of | :56:58. | :57:14. | |
State join me... Will the Secretary of State join me in condemning those | :57:15. | :57:20. | |
people who have condemned, in our time, our deployment of troops in | :57:21. | :57:24. | |
Estonia as being provocative, and agree with me that the Baltic states | :57:25. | :57:29. | |
themselves and welcomed it in the face of aggression from Russia? A | :57:30. | :57:35. | |
very good crook indeed in the circumstances. You will have noticed | :57:36. | :57:41. | |
the leader of the Labour Party's for a demilitarised zone. It would be | :57:42. | :57:47. | |
interesting to see whether the rest of the Labour Party agrees with that | :57:48. | :57:49. | |
because certainly President Putin would. The unit cost of the aircraft | :57:50. | :58:00. | |
Norway is buying including the data uplink is $300 million. The unit | :58:01. | :58:09. | |
cost of the 98 is the UK is mine is nearer to $400 million. Thus the | :58:10. | :58:16. | |
Secretary of State, value for money? -- does the. I'm not sure at the | :58:17. | :58:21. | |
exact point he is making because if it were up to him and his party, we | :58:22. | :58:25. | |
would not be buying these or placing them in Scotland. Will my right | :58:26. | :58:35. | |
honourable friend support me in obtaining sponsorship for the lions | :58:36. | :58:38. | |
share of funding to bring the innovation hub for in Yeovil that | :58:39. | :58:44. | |
can help with rapid innovation and unmanned aerial, which can help the | :58:45. | :58:47. | |
MoD deliver aid and support our military? Well, I would like to | :58:48. | :58:53. | |
thank him for his tireless campaigning on behalf of the | :58:54. | :58:58. | |
excellent work done in his constituency on interesting and | :58:59. | :59:01. | |
innovative projects, for example the unmanned helicopter system, and as | :59:02. | :59:06. | |
he knows, we have committed over the next ten years to be spending | :59:07. | :59:11. | |
something like ?3 billion with Leonardo as part of our long-term | :59:12. | :59:17. | |
partnering arrangement. The Israeli and US Navy have recently been | :59:18. | :59:21. | |
attacked by anti-ship missiles by Hezbollah. Is it not time that we | :59:22. | :59:26. | |
looked again at the river class OPV at the type 31 frigate and made sure | :59:27. | :59:35. | |
they have the right capability? In terms of the important question that | :59:36. | :59:40. | |
she asks, of course, it is very important that the Royal Navy | :59:41. | :59:43. | |
continually assesses the capabilities with which ships are | :59:44. | :59:47. | |
fitted, and of course, there will be details that I cannot go into detail | :59:48. | :59:53. | |
on at the dispatch box, because they are sensitive, due to operational | :59:54. | :59:59. | |
requirements. The UK's frigates and destroyers are currently protected | :00:00. | :00:01. | |
with heart pump -- harpoon missiles. Those are coming out of service in | :00:02. | :00:07. | |
2018, weaving frigates and destroyers -- weaving frigates and | :00:08. | :00:11. | |
destroyers defended with missiles with only a range of 11 miles. Will | :00:12. | :00:15. | |
the Minister consider looking again at extending the service life of the | :00:16. | :00:18. | |
harpoon missiles to properly defend our ships? Of course, the Royal Navy | :00:19. | :00:25. | |
is continuously assessing the capabilities that it requires an | :00:26. | :00:28. | |
work is ongoing across the MoD to consider the options for the harpoon | :00:29. | :00:35. | |
replacement. Thanks to the act brought in by the Labour Government | :00:36. | :00:39. | |
in 2010, we do not use or sell cluster munitions any more but the | :00:40. | :00:43. | |
Government has also been required under the act to persuade its allies | :00:44. | :00:47. | |
not to use cluster munitions either. So, what is the Government doing to | :00:48. | :00:52. | |
try and stop the Saudis from using cluster munitions -- cluster | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
munitions? In line with our obligations under the Convention of | :00:58. | :01:01. | |
cluster munitions, we continue to actively discouraged all states who | :01:02. | :01:06. | |
are not party to the Convention from using cluster munitions, and we | :01:07. | :01:10. | |
encourage them to accede to it without delay. We have raised the | :01:11. | :01:13. | |
ratification of the convention at ministerial level with Saudi Arabia. | :01:14. | :01:22. | |
I was disappointed alone of staff reductions at BAE Systems, including | :01:23. | :01:25. | |
at the sight of my constituency in Rochester and Skype. Could he | :01:26. | :01:30. | |
underwent what support he could offer to a local suppliers to ensure | :01:31. | :01:34. | |
that skills behind the innovation are gets cheered in my constituency? | :01:35. | :01:41. | |
Bashar are secure. I share her disappointment in the news that they | :01:42. | :01:44. | |
are reducing employment at the site in Rochester because after all, I | :01:45. | :01:48. | |
feel we are spending quite a lot of money with them at the moment. But | :01:49. | :01:52. | |
I'm sure that the people that she mentions have exemplary skills and I | :01:53. | :01:56. | |
can certainly say on behalf of the Government we will do everything we | :01:57. | :01:59. | |
can to make sure those valuable skills are redeployed in other areas | :02:00. | :02:02. | |
of this particular avionic specialty. Further to the honourable | :02:03. | :02:10. | |
Lady's answer to me earlier, when she confirmed about the budget, can | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
she tell us when will the last of the six type 45 destroyers at the | :02:15. | :02:21. | |
new propulsion system fitted? I cannot give you an exact timetable | :02:22. | :02:24. | |
because that has not been finalised, but I can tell him that the budget | :02:25. | :02:31. | |
is in place and the contract will be completed in the normal way, and | :02:32. | :02:34. | |
that ongoing improvements are being made actually all the time and have | :02:35. | :02:37. | |
been made to that power and propulsion system. The chair of the | :02:38. | :02:42. | |
Select Committee, Doctor Julie Lewis. Do ministers accept -- | :02:43. | :02:50. | |
Julian. That the type 31 general-purpose frigates are the | :02:51. | :02:53. | |
only chance we will have for a generation to raise up the total of | :02:54. | :02:58. | |
escorts from the pathetic total of 19 back to the sort of figures we | :02:59. | :03:03. | |
used to have when we really had an oceangoing Navy with enough escorts | :03:04. | :03:07. | |
to protect it, and will she therefore ensure that the design of | :03:08. | :03:12. | |
these frigates is chosen to be of the most economical nature and that | :03:13. | :03:16. | |
all the bells and whistles can be added on later, but the maximum | :03:17. | :03:19. | |
number of holes must be commissioned? We have some 29 ships | :03:20. | :03:29. | |
serving on the seven seas around the world at the moment and I am sure | :03:30. | :03:35. | |
that he makes a good point about the export ability of the type 31 | :03:36. | :03:39. | |
frigate and our ambition to raise the number of frigates and | :03:40. | :03:43. | |
destroyers beyond and above the current 19. | :03:44. | :03:48. |