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benefits, is justified. Join me for a round-up of the day at 11pm. But | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
first we have questions to Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary. | :00:00. | :00:18. | |
Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence. With | :00:19. | :00:34. | |
permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to answer this question with number | :00:35. | :00:40. | |
five, eight and nine. President electron has confirmed the | :00:41. | :00:43. | |
importance of Nato during telephone calls that the Prime Minister and | :00:44. | :00:48. | |
with the Nato Secretary General. I've written to James matters to | :00:49. | :00:51. | |
congratulate him on his nomination as secretary of defence and I look | :00:52. | :00:56. | |
forward to meeting him after his confirmation. General James has | :00:57. | :01:10. | |
warned against appeasing the Russian regime as President Putin intends to | :01:11. | :01:15. | |
break Nato apart. Would he do well to listen to his general and to | :01:16. | :01:23. | |
committing the US to Nato? The general is not only experienced in | :01:24. | :01:28. | |
combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he is also served as a Nato | :01:29. | :01:30. | |
commander and is aware of the importance of the alliance. Also the | :01:31. | :01:38. | |
importance of the alliance to the United States itself. It is the | :01:39. | :01:43. | |
unity of the alliance that sense the most powerful message to President | :01:44. | :01:50. | |
Putin. At recent war Sol summit Nato leaders made a commitment to step up | :01:51. | :02:00. | |
action against Isis. What a surety has he had that the US will continue | :02:01. | :02:05. | |
in their fight against INS? I will be hosting the cancer INS meeting in | :02:06. | :02:14. | |
London on Thursday but I have seen nothing from the incoming | :02:15. | :02:18. | |
administration's plans to indicate they would take any different | :02:19. | :02:25. | |
approach. The United States is taking the lead in the fight against | :02:26. | :02:29. | |
Daesh and progress is being made anorak and starting to be made in | :02:30. | :02:33. | |
Syria, and Nato has a contribution to to that. Given the US and Nato's | :02:34. | :02:42. | |
precision air drop capability, what conversations as he had with the | :02:43. | :02:46. | |
incoming US administration and with other allies on the feasibility of | :02:47. | :02:50. | |
using this capability to alleviate the suffering in Aleppo? We have | :02:51. | :03:03. | |
continually considered options to get aid into Aleppo. It is almost | :03:04. | :03:10. | |
impossible to get food or medicine in by the air when a defence is | :03:11. | :03:15. | |
controlled by Russia and the Syrian regime and permissions are not | :03:16. | :03:19. | |
forthcoming. We have looked at other options, such as using an airfield | :03:20. | :03:27. | |
outside the control of the moderate opposition, and we will continue to | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
look at all kinds of options, but that is already very late or the | :03:32. | :03:44. | |
people of eastern Aleppo. When I was a young officer serving in the | :03:45. | :03:51. | |
British Army I made the assumption that article five was the trigger, | :03:52. | :04:00. | |
if anyone attacked a Nato nations automatically every state, every | :04:01. | :04:05. | |
member, would go to war. I am wondering whether that is right now | :04:06. | :04:08. | |
or whether we just have a commitment to consult which will take much | :04:09. | :04:16. | |
longer than an automatic movement for war? Article five was last | :04:17. | :04:24. | |
invoked after 911 when the rest of the alliance pledged to do | :04:25. | :04:27. | |
everything possible to help the United States, then under the most | :04:28. | :04:35. | |
appalling attack on the Twin towers. The ants to the question, of course, | :04:36. | :04:40. | |
is once article five is triggered each member state has to examine its | :04:41. | :04:46. | |
obligations to the alliance as a whole. Before that stage, as tension | :04:47. | :04:50. | |
escalates, I would expect the deployments that we have prepared, | :04:51. | :04:58. | |
including task force, to be enacted. With my right honourable friend | :04:59. | :05:02. | |
agree that the new administration will be much more interested in | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
deeds than words when it comes to Nato and article five and that | :05:07. | :05:10. | |
Britain is setting an example for the rest of Europe, not just with | :05:11. | :05:15. | |
the 2% but also by the deployment of the troops that they plan for Poland | :05:16. | :05:21. | |
and the Baltic states? I agree with my honourable friend and we agree | :05:22. | :05:25. | |
with President elect Trump call for other European countries to do more. | :05:26. | :05:31. | |
Eight of the 28 members have now set in place firm plans to reach the 2%. | :05:32. | :05:39. | |
We reached the 2% the 19 members of Nato do not even do 1.5%. Some do | :05:40. | :05:46. | |
less than 1%. European country members still have a long way to go | :05:47. | :05:50. | |
to fulfil the pledges on which we all agreed at the summit. It was a | :05:51. | :05:57. | |
pleasure to read recently about the work that HMS Torbay has been doing | :05:58. | :06:02. | |
to secure maritime security for our allies. Would he agree that the US | :06:03. | :06:07. | |
administration recognises there is no such thing as a peripheral | :06:08. | :06:12. | |
needlestick and an attack on one is an attack on all of them? That is | :06:13. | :06:15. | |
the principle of collective defence the principle of collective | :06:16. | :06:17. | |
and the best possible message to any and the best possible message | :06:18. | :06:39. | |
further aggression from Russia. We have seen a | :06:40. | :06:55. | |
Interfering in other country's democratic lecture processes. We | :06:56. | :07:05. | |
have seen a disturbing pattern of allegations now of direct Russian | :07:06. | :07:07. | |
interference in countries as far apart as Bulgaria. Continuing | :07:08. | :07:13. | |
pressure on the Baltic states. We agreed at Walsall book both the | :07:14. | :07:19. | |
European Union and Nato would come together to cooperate on hybrid | :07:20. | :07:23. | |
warfare in particular and look at the various techniques that were | :07:24. | :07:26. | |
necessary to help us all this is that kind of pressure. For many | :07:27. | :07:32. | |
years and this Chamber people have been asking why European countries | :07:33. | :07:38. | |
who are members of Nato who are not spending 2% and were always told it | :07:39. | :07:42. | |
was going to happen, it will happen, it doesn't seem to happen. What | :07:43. | :07:45. | |
pressure can be put on What does it mean for Article five? | :07:46. | :09:05. | |
Government actually saying about that. The Western security | :09:06. | :09:18. | |
Government actually saying about what policies he should pursue and | :09:19. | :09:22. | |
what are the answers he is getting. We need a bit more than conforming | :09:23. | :09:33. | |
the importance of Nato. There have been to phone calls with the Prime | :09:34. | :09:38. | |
Minister. The president has not taken office yet. And these offices | :09:39. | :09:45. | |
are still to be confirmed, but there is a clear understanding between us | :09:46. | :09:48. | |
and the United States administration of the importance of Nato and the | :09:49. | :09:53. | |
importance not only to us here but to the United States in cell. We | :09:54. | :10:05. | |
recently returned from a briefing in Brussels where we were told about | :10:06. | :10:09. | |
plans to ensure the security of the Baltic states and off our Armed | :10:10. | :10:18. | |
Forces. Can I prison further of what assessment he had his department | :10:19. | :10:24. | |
have made of the impact that President elect a's policies may | :10:25. | :10:27. | |
have on the ability of Nato to implement article five of it is ever | :10:28. | :10:33. | |
necessary. The United States will be leading one of the four forward | :10:34. | :10:36. | |
battalions next year. We will be leading the Battalion in Poland and | :10:37. | :10:42. | |
we will be adding our own troops to that Battalion and we will be | :10:43. | :10:47. | |
leading in Estonia and Germany will be leading in the other countries. | :10:48. | :10:52. | |
We have absolutely no evidence at the moment that the United States is | :10:53. | :10:58. | |
going to alter its position on that, on the contrary. In my discussions | :10:59. | :11:03. | |
and I've been over the Atlantic twice in the recent weeks, in my | :11:04. | :11:08. | |
discussions with the US military and senators and congressmen who take an | :11:09. | :11:11. | |
interest in defence, they have every reason to believe that the United | :11:12. | :11:15. | |
States will confirm its commitment to the alliance. | :11:16. | :11:21. | |
We have made significant progress in recent months. We announce our | :11:22. | :11:29. | |
intentions to derogate from the articles from the European | :11:30. | :11:31. | |
Convention on Human Rights where appropriate. I have launched a | :11:32. | :11:35. | |
compensation for injured and killed soldiers in combat so that members | :11:36. | :11:39. | |
of the armed forces and their families do not have to spend years | :11:40. | :11:43. | |
waiting to pursue claims against the MoD. We hope to announce further | :11:44. | :11:51. | |
measures shortly. My constituent 87-year-old former soldier will | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
welcome that news as he's expressed his outrage about some of these | :11:57. | :12:03. | |
claims. If it weren't the MoD submitting evidence of malpractice | :12:04. | :12:07. | |
and the MoD legal aid contract, this man would still be hounding our | :12:08. | :12:11. | |
soldiers. Mr Speaker, I was at the Ministry of | :12:12. | :12:14. | |
Justice when we revoked the legal aid. It wasn't for this Secretary of | :12:15. | :12:22. | |
State to the complaints, the authority. Mr Shiner will probably | :12:23. | :12:28. | |
still be pursuing soldiers and servicemen. Probably Mr Shiner | :12:29. | :12:31. | |
should do what the Secretary of State called for him to do in | :12:32. | :12:34. | |
December 2014 and apologise to our former serviceman. | :12:35. | :12:39. | |
Thank you Mr Speaker. As someone who has served with distinction in | :12:40. | :12:43. | |
Northern Ireland, the minister of state must be disgusted by the | :12:44. | :12:49. | |
industrial scale abuse of the legal process against former soldiers, | :12:50. | :12:53. | |
that has imPuned the reputation of every single soldier that has served | :12:54. | :12:58. | |
in Ulster over the last 40 years. Will he undertake and will his | :12:59. | :13:04. | |
department undertake to be the bulwark against that abuse, against | :13:05. | :13:08. | |
that witch-hunt. Will he stand up and make Shh... Sure that it is | :13:09. | :13:13. | |
stopped forth with? I had the honour of serving in the province and was | :13:14. | :13:18. | |
part of the peace process that we have now. The vast majority of our | :13:19. | :13:22. | |
servicemen and women served with distinction in Northern Ireland. The | :13:23. | :13:26. | |
MoD will continue and I will support the police force in Northern Ireland | :13:27. | :13:29. | |
with their ongoing inquiries. What's it they said on the radio at the | :13:30. | :13:32. | |
weekend, it's not new investigations. Can I pay tribute to | :13:33. | :13:36. | |
my honourable gentleman and the work he's done in the past and wish him | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
happy birthday on his 50th today. THE SPEAKER: I had thought that the | :13:41. | :13:45. | |
honourable member were stirring on his seat, if he isn't I won't. Mr | :13:46. | :13:56. | |
Speaker, in the last few years, some 3,500 soldiers have had their lives | :13:57. | :14:02. | |
wrecked by the investigations of the Iraq historic team, allegations | :14:03. | :14:08. | |
team. This at cost of some ?90 million to Her Majesty's treasury. | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
And one single prosecution has resulted from it. Surely now is the | :14:13. | :14:16. | |
time when the Government must bring to an end the dreadful organisation? | :14:17. | :14:21. | |
Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State and I are doing everything we can to | :14:22. | :14:26. | |
get Hyatt to come to those conclusions. The vast majority of | :14:27. | :14:30. | |
those investigations will be don colluded and we -- will be concluded | :14:31. | :14:34. | |
and we hope and expect there will be no action to be taken. We must make | :14:35. | :14:38. | |
sure that the investigations are taken place correctly so it doesn't | :14:39. | :14:41. | |
end up in a European Court somewhere. Mr Speaker, it isn't just | :14:42. | :14:50. | |
a question of the Ihat inquiry and the disgraceful behaviour of this | :14:51. | :14:54. | |
disreputable solicitor Phil Shiner. Now we're faced with the prospect of | :14:55. | :14:58. | |
hundreds of British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland again | :14:59. | :15:02. | |
being brought before the court, as the honourable member has just said. | :15:03. | :15:06. | |
This is really wholly unacceptable, that nearly half a century on, | :15:07. | :15:10. | |
member who have served their country to the best of their ability should | :15:11. | :15:15. | |
still face possible prosecution and will my right honourable friend | :15:16. | :15:18. | |
accept this is not good enough to say it's a matter for the Police | :15:19. | :15:24. | |
Service of Northern Ireland. This is a matter of public interest and | :15:25. | :15:28. | |
ministers must be accountable. We must make sure that that the police, | :15:29. | :15:31. | |
I repeat that the police decide whether they need to investigate | :15:32. | :15:34. | |
something, we will do so. We will make sure as we bring forward | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
proposals that we help the police, but protect those who have served | :15:39. | :15:41. | |
their country alongside me and other colleagues to make sure we protect | :15:42. | :15:46. | |
them as much as possible. Question number three. Thank you Mr Speaker. | :15:47. | :15:53. | |
With the rising defence budget and an Equipment Plan worth ?178 billion | :15:54. | :15:58. | |
over the next ten years, we are renewing our capabilities. We spend | :15:59. | :16:02. | |
up to 20% of our science and technology budget on research and we | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
have launched an ?800 million innovation fund. The minister will | :16:07. | :16:14. | |
be aware that the ministry has a reputation amongst some suppliers of | :16:15. | :16:17. | |
being challenging to work with. What is the minister dog time prove | :16:18. | :16:20. | |
working relationships, particularly with SMEs, including many of the | :16:21. | :16:25. | |
suppliers to the defence industry in Worcestershire? Well, my honourable | :16:26. | :16:29. | |
friend and neighbour is absolutely right that it can be challenging to | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
work with the Ministry of Defence procurement processes. We are | :16:35. | :16:39. | |
particularly keen to encourage small and medium sized businesses to apply | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
for business with us. We want to procure an increase from 19% of our | :16:45. | :16:50. | |
spending up to 25% of our spending from small businesses. Acting on | :16:51. | :16:53. | |
direct feed back from small businesses, we've introduced a | :16:54. | :16:57. | |
network of supply chain advocates to help smaller businesses through the | :16:58. | :17:02. | |
maze of defence procurement. Their contact details are available on | :17:03. | :17:05. | |
request from my honourable friend and other members. The minister | :17:06. | :17:10. | |
referred there to renewing our capabilities. I asked her previously | :17:11. | :17:16. | |
about the programme to renew the type 45 propulsion systems. Can she | :17:17. | :17:21. | |
tell us, recognising there are sensitivities commercially, can she | :17:22. | :17:24. | |
tell us, is there a budget for that programme of improvements to the | :17:25. | :17:30. | |
type 45 systems and when does she expect all six vessels to be | :17:31. | :17:34. | |
improved? I'm very pleased to be able to confirm to the honourable | :17:35. | :17:37. | |
gentleman that there is a budget and also that there is progression and | :17:38. | :17:43. | |
that these incredibly capable ships are performing a wide range of tasks | :17:44. | :17:50. | |
and are seen today, for example, HMS Daring is in the Gulf, acting as | :17:51. | :17:57. | |
part of our deployment out. There Thank you Mr Speaker. Small firms in | :17:58. | :18:06. | |
my constituency, like GSI that specialise in producing b with | :18:07. | :18:13. | |
arilli -- Barillium products. Can the minister confirm how the firms | :18:14. | :18:17. | |
can access the ?800 million innovation fund and when the first | :18:18. | :18:22. | |
competition stage might start? Well, I'm now delighted to tell my | :18:23. | :18:25. | |
honourable friend that I was able to launch the first competition last | :18:26. | :18:29. | |
Thursday at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. In that | :18:30. | :18:33. | |
first competition for up to ?3 million we're looking for new ways | :18:34. | :18:37. | |
of exploring data to inform decisions. It doesn't sound like | :18:38. | :18:41. | |
exactly the area of specialisation that my honourable friend, the | :18:42. | :18:44. | |
business that she mentions is engaged with, there will be further | :18:45. | :18:49. | |
competitions and also of course an open application for a wide range of | :18:50. | :18:52. | |
different ideas to be fed in directly. | :18:53. | :18:58. | |
No-one would deny it's vitally important we do everything we can to | :18:59. | :19:03. | |
encourage innovation in the defence sector. Would she agree with me in | :19:04. | :19:07. | |
order to foster an environment in which innovation can flourish, | :19:08. | :19:10. | |
business and industry has to trust what it's told by the Government. | :19:11. | :19:13. | |
Given, that would she take this opportunity to explain to the ship | :19:14. | :19:18. | |
building industry exactly why the copper bottom assurance that's she | :19:19. | :19:21. | |
gave on at least four occasions that the national ship building strategy | :19:22. | :19:25. | |
would be published before the Autumn Statement didn't deliver? Mr | :19:26. | :19:34. | |
Speaker, did you pick up in that question any congratulations and | :19:35. | :19:37. | |
delight from the fact that I was at the shipyards on the Clyde last | :19:38. | :19:43. | |
Thursday cutting steel for two new off-shore patrol vessels. Mr | :19:44. | :19:48. | |
Speaker, I remain astonished at the very grudging way in which the | :19:49. | :19:52. | |
Scottish National Party fails to recognise the billions of pounds of | :19:53. | :19:57. | |
work that are being sent to shipyards in the Clyde. | :19:58. | :20:04. | |
For the record, I am absolutely delighted that the OPV are being | :20:05. | :20:08. | |
built on the Clyde. Now will she take this opportunity to apologise | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
to the workers and the management across the UK ship building industry | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
for the misleading and the contradict wear statements that have | :20:18. | :20:20. | |
come from the Ministry of Defence over the last few months and would | :20:21. | :20:24. | |
she take this opportunity to explain why the ship building strategy did | :20:25. | :20:30. | |
not appear when you, it was promise today would appear. | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
-- promise today would appear? It's lucky he gets a supplementary, so he | :20:36. | :20:42. | |
can extend grudging words of welcome, for the fact we've just | :20:43. | :20:46. | |
announced two decades worth of work in Scotland. He's complaining about | :20:47. | :20:51. | |
the lack of publication of a report which was published, Mr Speaker. The | :20:52. | :20:54. | |
Government is going to provide its response next year. Sir John | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
Parker's report on ship building was published on November 29. I'm sorry | :21:00. | :21:03. | |
he hasn't had a chance to read it. I shall send him a personally signed | :21:04. | :21:05. | |
copy. THE SPEAKER: The honourable | :21:06. | :21:11. | |
gentleman is a very excitableberger in this House. I've not sure he's | :21:12. | :21:21. | |
attained the aperge of statesmanship he should acquire. Let's hear from a | :21:22. | :21:28. | |
calm person, Maria Miller. The minister's focus on innovation | :21:29. | :21:31. | |
is absolutely right. Will she look at the excellent work of national | :21:32. | :21:39. | |
aerospace exploitation programme are already running more than 100 | :21:40. | :21:43. | |
innovation projects and establish how she can help continue this work? | :21:44. | :21:49. | |
You're absolutely right to call the honourable member for Basingstoke, | :21:50. | :21:52. | |
who has asked such a calm and helpful question about the excellent | :21:53. | :21:55. | |
work provided by this organisation. She will be familiar with the work | :21:56. | :22:00. | |
done by the defence growth partnership at Farnborough and the | :22:01. | :22:03. | |
fantastic way in which they also work to promote the excellence of | :22:04. | :22:07. | |
the UK aerospace industry to people all around the world. Number four Mr | :22:08. | :22:14. | |
Speaker. The Royal Air Force has made a vital contribution to the | :22:15. | :22:19. | |
counter-Daesh coalition, carrying out 1092 strikes in Iraq and 75 | :22:20. | :22:26. | |
strikes in Syria and providing essential intelligence, surveillance | :22:27. | :22:29. | |
and reconnaissance. In Iraq, the RAF has accepted Iraqi security forces | :22:30. | :22:35. | |
regain significant territory including supporting operations to | :22:36. | :22:39. | |
liberate mos uling. In Syria, the RAF has attacked Daesh's capital in | :22:40. | :22:45. | |
Raqqa, while supporting opposition groupeds pushing back dire on the | :22:46. | :22:49. | |
ground. The RAF is making real progress in Iraq and Syria. At this | :22:50. | :22:54. | |
time of year, our thoughts must be with our brave servicemen and women. | :22:55. | :22:59. | |
Once Mosul is liberated, what role does the Secretary of State | :23:00. | :23:03. | |
anticipate for the RAF in Iraq? We shall be reviewing with the military | :23:04. | :23:08. | |
commanders progress in Iraq and Syria at the coalition, counterdire | :23:09. | :23:14. | |
coalition meeting in -- counter-Daesh coalition meeting in | :23:15. | :23:18. | |
London. And mapping out a road to longer term peace in Iraq, including | :23:19. | :23:22. | |
potential future deployments in different parts of Iraq that may | :23:23. | :23:26. | |
help to continue the training that we've been offering Iraqi forces and | :23:27. | :23:33. | |
further work on counter-terrorism. We will be discussing the need to | :23:34. | :23:41. | |
control the spread of the return of foreign fighters from Iraq and | :23:42. | :23:45. | |
indeed from Syria to the different countries that they came from. | :23:46. | :23:52. | |
At a time when our RAF is at full stretch on operations, the Secretary | :23:53. | :23:57. | |
of State will be as concerned as I was that RAF haul ton is to close. | :23:58. | :24:02. | |
Not because the consolidation is not the right direction of travel, but | :24:03. | :24:05. | |
because it seems to have been sprung on the civilian military personnel | :24:06. | :24:10. | |
in order to meet the local council land bank deadline. Can he reassure | :24:11. | :24:16. | |
personnel on time scale and support. THE SPEAKER: Notally to operations | :24:17. | :24:24. | |
in Iraq and Syria, but which the honourable lady didn't quite intend | :24:25. | :24:30. | |
to do. The closures have been taken on the basis of military capability | :24:31. | :24:33. | |
and on the advice of the service chiefs. I'm sure the whole House | :24:34. | :24:37. | |
will join with my honourable friend and indeed the honourable lady in | :24:38. | :24:41. | |
paying tribute to the work of the RAF, the sustained tempo of | :24:42. | :24:45. | |
operations there, probably at their highest for over 25 years and the | :24:46. | :24:49. | |
enormous job they're doing to help keep our country safe. | :24:50. | :24:56. | |
Can I not press the Defence Secretary on the level of defeatism | :24:57. | :25:02. | |
in his statement that it is nearly impossible to envisage successful | :25:03. | :25:06. | |
air drops if Russia does not allow it? Russia for all its beladies and | :25:07. | :25:13. | |
gentleman rans does not -- belligerence does not want to trig | :25:14. | :25:18. | |
air confly with Nato allies. The loaninger that -- longer that this | :25:19. | :25:23. | |
cowardice goes on in the face of their posturing, the more they will | :25:24. | :25:27. | |
push and the harder it will be for any resolve to come to the dreadful | :25:28. | :25:31. | |
tragedy happening in that country. We continue to look for any | :25:32. | :25:34. | |
possibility of getting either food or medicine into Aleppo or indeed | :25:35. | :25:38. | |
into some of the other besieged areas. But it isn't simply a | :25:39. | :25:42. | |
question of Russian permission. We also have to make sure that any | :25:43. | :25:49. | |
drops are feasible considering the vulnerability of aircraft to ground | :25:50. | :25:55. | |
to air defence systems as well. The Secretary of State said it was very | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
late for the people of Eastern Aleppo, but it isn't too late. I | :26:00. | :26:05. | |
would second the calls, the RAF planes could be providing | :26:06. | :26:10. | |
humanitarian air drops. There are frontbenchers and backbenchers | :26:11. | :26:13. | |
signing a letter to call for this. Will he look at it again? We have | :26:14. | :26:17. | |
continued to look, almost daily at the various ways in which we might | :26:18. | :26:21. | |
be able to get food aid in. It is not possible in a contested airspace | :26:22. | :26:26. | |
with ground to air missile systems and Russian aircraft flying overhead | :26:27. | :26:31. | |
denying permission, it is not possible to fly coalition aircraft | :26:32. | :26:37. | |
over Aleppo. Without that security, we are unable to drop food where it | :26:38. | :26:41. | |
is most needed. We continue to look at all the options. | :26:42. | :26:47. | |
I would like to thank the Secretary of State for his answer on Aleppo to | :26:48. | :26:54. | |
my honourable friend the member for Barnsley Central and reference the | :26:55. | :26:58. | |
RAF capabilities that my honourable friend mentioned, but I share the | :26:59. | :27:06. | |
concerns raised that they really do need to look at this again. Can I | :27:07. | :27:09. | |
ask the Secretary of State Vicky will continue and will not at any | :27:10. | :27:18. | |
stage give up looking at how we can alleviate the terrible suffering | :27:19. | :27:23. | |
that is going on in East Aleppo. I can give her that assurance. We | :27:24. | :27:29. | |
continue to talk to the NGOs who are willing to help us provide food and | :27:30. | :27:34. | |
medicine and some food and medicine is going into other cities in Syria, | :27:35. | :27:41. | |
but not into Aleppo in cell. That is because of the impossibility of | :27:42. | :27:46. | |
flying aircraft in that airspace and the very real risk of aircraft being | :27:47. | :27:57. | |
shot down. The Armed Forces are Britain's biggest provider of | :27:58. | :28:05. | |
apprenticeships. Ranging from engineering and IT to construction | :28:06. | :28:13. | |
and driving, defence will start 50,000 apprenticeships this | :28:14. | :28:16. | |
Parliament and will work with the Department for Education to expand | :28:17. | :28:18. | |
the current range of apprenticeships that we offer. That is impressive. I | :28:19. | :28:27. | |
did not expect to hear David be the largest provider in the country. | :28:28. | :28:33. | |
What assurances can he give my constituents that they will offer | :28:34. | :28:40. | |
quality as well as quantity? She is right to focus on quality and at the | :28:41. | :28:47. | |
last Ofsted inspections we were graded as good with some being | :28:48. | :28:53. | |
outstanding and the Royal Air Force programme was rated as outstanding. | :28:54. | :29:00. | |
The Minister mentioned the Department for Education and if I | :29:01. | :29:04. | |
look at the Government website it refers to England. Can he assure me | :29:05. | :29:08. | |
that apprenticeships and available across the United Kingdom in | :29:09. | :29:17. | |
devolved administrations? We are always happy to work with the | :29:18. | :29:21. | |
devolved assemblies and we can assure the gentleman that | :29:22. | :29:25. | |
apprenticeships are available to all of our Armed Forces personnel full. | :29:26. | :29:34. | |
Could I thank him for opening the type 26 facility, where he spoke to | :29:35. | :29:42. | |
many of the young apprentices that are working on that. But he and his | :29:43. | :29:50. | |
ministers continue to make sure that apprentices are a key part of the | :29:51. | :29:57. | |
supply chain? He makes a good point. Absolutely. As we begin to look | :29:58. | :30:02. | |
forward it is not just about having apprenticeships in the Armed Forces | :30:03. | :30:05. | |
themselves, but it is part of the transition when our service | :30:06. | :30:10. | |
personnel leave that they are able to work in the supply chain. This is | :30:11. | :30:20. | |
a partnership with industry. Last week we were talking to | :30:21. | :30:26. | |
apprenticeships about the future. What reassurances can the Government | :30:27. | :30:34. | |
give to these skilled men and women that they Thai party ones will be | :30:35. | :30:38. | |
built on the Clyde? It is worth remembering that the apprentices | :30:39. | :30:45. | |
that will work on the last type 26 has not yet been born. We continue | :30:46. | :30:50. | |
to work closely with industry. As my honourable friend said, the | :30:51. | :30:52. | |
investment that is being made in Scotland over many years should be | :30:53. | :31:02. | |
celebrated. The Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2015 | :31:03. | :31:08. | |
committed us to a force that can meet a range of threats, having a | :31:09. | :31:14. | |
mix of armoured vehicles and tanks to do the liver -- to deliver. We | :31:15. | :31:24. | |
are spending ?7 million through to 2035. While we should welcome the | :31:25. | :31:32. | |
very large order for fighting vehicles, does he accept that these | :31:33. | :31:40. | |
will be no match for the armament of enemy battle tanks? Will he confirm | :31:41. | :31:47. | |
how many of our existing 227 tanks will go forward to the challenge | :31:48. | :31:52. | |
life extension programme, bearing in mind the needs to have capacity for | :31:53. | :31:57. | |
regeneration in the event of the crisis. My honourable friend knows | :31:58. | :32:05. | |
very well because he is taking a keen interest for so many years that | :32:06. | :32:10. | |
it is for the military to decide what the capabilities are. Having | :32:11. | :32:15. | |
?700 million available for challenger to shows a clear | :32:16. | :32:23. | |
commitment to it. While I support the diversity of the available | :32:24. | :32:28. | |
vehicles, the Army are planning to reduce the number of tanks by a | :32:29. | :32:33. | |
third at a time when Russia has announced a new generation of | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
vehicles, ours will be reduced to 170. Does the Minister not agree | :32:39. | :32:44. | |
that this is not the right time to be bringing this announcement | :32:45. | :32:46. | |
forward and it sends the wrong message? Per8-mac we should not | :32:47. | :32:52. | |
believe everything that you read in the press. What I would say is that | :32:53. | :33:00. | |
we need to trust the Armed Forces to tell us what they want and the | :33:01. | :33:06. | |
Russian tank, which I think is what the gentleman is alluding to, is and | :33:07. | :33:13. | |
unmanned vehicle. I thought that there would be a great cheer because | :33:14. | :33:24. | |
the vehicle is being built in Wales. The Minister has mentioned the Ajax | :33:25. | :33:30. | |
vehicle. David Cameron announced that the new Ajax fighting vehicle | :33:31. | :33:35. | |
would be a boost for British manufacturer. I welcome that many of | :33:36. | :33:44. | |
the vehicles will be assembled here, but they are being built using | :33:45. | :33:48. | |
Swedish steel and will have their hols built in Spain. Some are being | :33:49. | :33:55. | |
completely built instead. Does he think that Mr David Cameron was | :33:56. | :34:00. | |
inaccurate in his statement? I don't think this. The issue here is about | :34:01. | :34:12. | |
jobs in Wales, and making sure the Army get the vehicles that they | :34:13. | :34:19. | |
want. Unless the Labour Party commits to 2% GDP they will never | :34:20. | :34:31. | |
get to that level. Next year we will be sending a hundred trips to | :34:32. | :34:38. | |
Estonia, 150 personnel to Poland, leading to a readiness task force | :34:39. | :34:45. | |
based in Romania with the four typhoons were committing to Nato. | :34:46. | :34:51. | |
Can I welcome the Government's commitment to the Polish Prime | :34:52. | :34:54. | |
Minister of additional UK troops and armoured vehicles in the face of the | :34:55. | :34:58. | |
concerns surrounding the Russian threat. Does he agree that we should | :34:59. | :35:02. | |
stand shoulder to shoulder with our Polish friends and it shows how | :35:03. | :35:08. | |
Britain can be an even stronger European Ali respective Brexit. -- | :35:09. | :35:17. | |
European ally. They were absolutely thrilled that we committed to being | :35:18. | :35:21. | |
with them, which is what came out in the statement afterwards, and the | :35:22. | :35:26. | |
chips are looking forward to this one. On the day that we celebrate | :35:27. | :35:36. | |
the 25th anniversary of the ending of the USSR, can we do more to | :35:37. | :35:43. | |
educate our people about the importance of defending the security | :35:44. | :35:49. | |
of those states that regain their independence, Estonia, Latvia, and | :35:50. | :35:55. | |
were able to make a free democratic decision to associate with battle | :35:56. | :35:58. | |
and then the nonsense we hear from some quarters on both sides of the | :35:59. | :36:02. | |
Atlantic that Nato is not a voluntary alliance? He is as | :36:03. | :36:10. | |
interested in hearing other contributions as two years on | :36:11. | :36:16. | |
hearing his own views. It is customary for the colleague to stay | :36:17. | :36:19. | |
until the end of the exchanges under own question. The success of Nato is | :36:20. | :36:24. | |
that it is free for countries to join and he is right to say that the | :36:25. | :36:30. | |
countries he alluded to are particularly worried about their | :36:31. | :36:34. | |
protection. It is not like the British Army where we sat there very | :36:35. | :36:40. | |
static over a long period of time, what we are sending is a significant | :36:41. | :36:45. | |
force along with our other allies in Nato to make sure the Russian knows | :36:46. | :36:52. | |
we're serious. Part of any alliance is to be a critical friend with | :36:53. | :36:56. | |
other members of that alliance. But the Minister half of the Secretary | :36:57. | :36:59. | |
of State should read the next and disputed the future leader of the | :37:00. | :37:04. | |
free world that they might request that they start reading their CIA | :37:05. | :37:08. | |
briefings dearly and do us all a favour. -- briefings dearly. And | :37:09. | :37:17. | |
sure of the future president of the United States will reap the | :37:18. | :37:20. | |
briefings when he becomes the president. And sure you saw the | :37:21. | :37:26. | |
coverage this morning where the future president of the United | :37:27. | :37:29. | |
States does not necessarily believe everything he has been told in the | :37:30. | :37:37. | |
press. The additional support to Nato is welcome, but for our land | :37:38. | :37:43. | |
forces this requires high-end armoured enforcements. Will money be | :37:44. | :37:45. | |
made available to train with that capability? The Armed Forces in | :37:46. | :37:49. | |
particular have the money they require and when I visited recently | :37:50. | :37:57. | |
the trips that will be going to Poland the equipment that I saw was | :37:58. | :38:02. | |
next to none. But we will keep under review what they have, especially | :38:03. | :38:12. | |
considering the weather in Poland. What a busy time. I am proud to say | :38:13. | :38:19. | |
for the first time in a generation that the Royal Navy is growing at | :38:20. | :38:24. | |
this Government is committed in increasing our maritime power across | :38:25. | :38:29. | |
the world. This can be seen by the numbers we are aiming to get, the | :38:30. | :38:36. | |
aircraft 's, the frigates and destroyers, and further offshore | :38:37. | :38:41. | |
patrol vessels that will appear by 2030. Does he agree that to fulfil | :38:42. | :38:48. | |
the Government's commitment to increase the size of the fleet, | :38:49. | :38:53. | |
particularly frigates and destroyers, we need to replace the | :38:54. | :38:55. | |
type 23 every year. Will he committed this? We will commit to | :38:56. | :39:01. | |
the new frigates that will replace the type 23. I was on one recently | :39:02. | :39:10. | |
when we were shadowing a Russian aircraft, we must not underestimate | :39:11. | :39:14. | |
the capabilities of the type 23s, because other countries are looking | :39:15. | :39:19. | |
to buy them when we sell them. They are doing a fantastic job and we | :39:20. | :39:22. | |
will make sure that the new frigates to just as well. Will the new ships | :39:23. | :39:34. | |
be built in the UK and will he give a further commitment to buying | :39:35. | :39:40. | |
British defence and using British Steel to build the ships? And a | :39:41. | :39:47. | |
report last week it stated that the best value for the Navy is what we | :39:48. | :39:51. | |
need to do and we need to make sure that shipyards bid for the work and | :39:52. | :39:54. | |
in previous times they have not been. We can see what bits come | :39:55. | :40:00. | |
forward and who wins. When does he expect to announce the options for | :40:01. | :40:06. | |
the type 26 and type 23 figures and Willie confirmed that Portsmouth is | :40:07. | :40:09. | |
being considered for some of these welcome new ships. We recognise the | :40:10. | :40:17. | |
beds that are coming forward. As soon as we can announce that we will | :40:18. | :40:22. | |
do so. We're looking forward to the new frigates because then we can | :40:23. | :40:25. | |
sell of the type 23s to other countries. Today I received my first | :40:26. | :40:33. | |
Christmas present, a Royal Navy Callander. January features HMS | :40:34. | :40:48. | |
Ocean. Kiki Telus how is decommissioning after years of | :40:49. | :40:50. | |
service adds to the strength and power of the Royal Navy? Royal | :40:51. | :40:59. | |
procurement is not my area and I was told that she was always due to go | :41:00. | :41:05. | |
out of service in 2018. She has done fantastic work and we must praise | :41:06. | :41:10. | |
the work she and her crew have done, but her time is coming towards the | :41:11. | :41:28. | |
The additional support to Nato is welcome. For our land forces, this | :41:29. | :41:33. | |
requires high end armoured formations. Will the MoD be making | :41:34. | :41:36. | |
new money available to properly regrow and train with that | :41:37. | :41:43. | |
capability? The armed forces and particularly the Army have the money | :41:44. | :41:48. | |
they require. When I visited the light dra goons and rifles, which | :41:49. | :41:52. | |
will deploy to Poland, the equipment they have is second to none. We keep | :41:53. | :41:57. | |
under review the equipment they have, particularly with the | :41:58. | :42:03. | |
inclement weather in Poland that is fit for purpose. Number 11. What a | :42:04. | :42:10. | |
busy time, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I'm proud to say for the first time | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
in a generation the Royal Navy is growing and this Government is | :42:16. | :42:19. | |
committed to increase the maritime power across the world and promote | :42:20. | :42:22. | |
prosperity. That can be seen by the personnel numbers that we're aiming | :42:23. | :42:29. | |
for 30,600. The Elizabeth aircraft carrier took 19 greyingates and | :42:30. | :42:39. | |
destroyers. -- frigates. To fulfil the Government's commitment to | :42:40. | :42:42. | |
increase the size of the fleet, specifically in relation to frigates | :42:43. | :42:46. | |
and destroyers, we have to replace a type 23 at a race of one a year? | :42:47. | :42:51. | |
Will he commit to this? We will commit to the new frigates that will | :42:52. | :42:57. | |
replace the type 23s, having been on a type 23 in the last couple of | :42:58. | :43:01. | |
weeks, shadowing the Russian aircraft carrier in the English | :43:02. | :43:04. | |
Channel we, mustn't underestimate the capabilities of the 23s, not | :43:05. | :43:08. | |
least because many other countries are looking to purchase them when we | :43:09. | :43:12. | |
can sell them off. At the end of the day, the 23s are doing a fantastic | :43:13. | :43:15. | |
job and we'll make sure that the new frigates do just as well. Account | :43:16. | :43:23. | |
minister say if the new RFA ships will be built in the UK and if so, | :43:24. | :43:29. | |
will he give a further commitment to buying British in defence | :43:30. | :43:33. | |
procurement and guarantee the use of British Steel to build these ships? | :43:34. | :43:38. | |
In the report last week, it was most important stated that the best value | :43:39. | :43:42. | |
for the navy is what we need to do. We must make sure that shipyards bid | :43:43. | :43:45. | |
for the work and in previous times they haven't bid. Let's see what the | :43:46. | :43:49. | |
bids are that comes forward and see who wins. When does my honourable | :43:50. | :43:57. | |
friend expect to announce the basing for the maintenance options for the | :43:58. | :44:00. | |
type 23 figures and will he confirm that Portsmouth is considered for | :44:01. | :44:05. | |
some of these welcome new ships? Of course we recognise the bid and the | :44:06. | :44:10. | |
bids coming forward. As soon as we have the ability to announce, I'm | :44:11. | :44:13. | |
sure she will. We are looking forward to the new frigates. We can | :44:14. | :44:17. | |
then sell off the 23s to countries that particularly want them as well | :44:18. | :44:23. | |
Today I received my first Christmas present, a Royal Navy calendar. | :44:24. | :44:35. | |
January - of platforms obviously. January features HMS Oceans. How are | :44:36. | :44:41. | |
we decommissioning after years of impressive service adding to the | :44:42. | :44:49. | |
strength and power of our Royal Navy While procurement, I'm reliably | :44:50. | :44:53. | |
informed she was due to go out of service in 2018 and the new | :44:54. | :44:56. | |
Elizabeth class carriers will come into force. She has done fantastic | :44:57. | :45:00. | |
work and we must praise the work that the ship and her crew has done. | :45:01. | :45:04. | |
But her time is coming towards its end. She will go in 20le. . -- 2018. | :45:05. | :45:15. | |
I have to say that the minister for defence procurement's answer to the | :45:16. | :45:17. | |
honourable member for Argyll and Bute on the publication on the | :45:18. | :45:21. | |
national ship building strategy is not good enough, not good enough for | :45:22. | :45:26. | |
our Royal Navy, not good enough for workers in the ship building | :45:27. | :45:29. | |
industries nor for international allies. On November 29 the | :45:30. | :45:34. | |
Government only published Sir John Parker's independent review to | :45:35. | :45:38. | |
inform the strategy. When just last year the Government promised to | :45:39. | :45:44. | |
publish a new national ship building strategy in 2016. With just six | :45:45. | :45:48. | |
Parliamentary days to go till the end of the year, account minister | :45:49. | :45:52. | |
explain exactly when we're going to see that strategy? We're seeing it | :45:53. | :45:57. | |
in spring 2017. I find it slightly difficult being lectured on defence | :45:58. | :46:01. | |
procurement by a party that won't even commit themselves to 2% of GDP. | :46:02. | :46:06. | |
The key to this is making sure we get the ships built, get apprentices | :46:07. | :46:11. | |
we need and mark sure that the whole communities benefit from it. | :46:12. | :46:14. | |
I don't know where the minister gets his information from. I don't know | :46:15. | :46:17. | |
whether he reads Westminster Hall debates, I don't know if he's been | :46:18. | :46:21. | |
listening to what we've don saying from the dispatch box that we are | :46:22. | :46:26. | |
fully committed to a 2% spend of GDP to meet our Nato commitments. And | :46:27. | :46:32. | |
spend it on defence as is required. Can we now perhaps turn to more | :46:33. | :46:38. | |
specific issue about the naval fleet and in particular, those type 26 | :46:39. | :46:43. | |
frigates, which have faced very long delays and with all the attendant | :46:44. | :46:49. | |
risks to our naval capabilities. The Defence Select Committee recently | :46:50. | :46:53. | |
said the national ship building strategy must include strict time | :46:54. | :46:57. | |
lines for the delivery of the 26 class of frigates and a time frame | :46:58. | :47:02. | |
for the general purpose frigate. Can he confirm that in the spring it | :47:03. | :47:06. | |
will include those details? I did a bit of research. It appears that the | :47:07. | :47:11. | |
Labour Government started look at type 26s in '97, 13 years in | :47:12. | :47:14. | |
Government and it will be us that will be cutting steel in spring next | :47:15. | :47:17. | |
year. THE SPEAKER: We will hear the voice | :47:18. | :47:23. | |
of Gainsborough on this matter. Mr Speaker, with increasing demands for | :47:24. | :47:28. | |
frigates worldwide, does my honourable friend agree with Sir | :47:29. | :47:33. | |
John Parker that we should focus on bidding ships that other countries | :47:34. | :47:37. | |
actually want to buy, something the Royal Navy has signally failed to do | :47:38. | :47:40. | |
in the past. I think my honourable friend has hit the nail absolutely | :47:41. | :47:44. | |
on the head. The type 26 is not just for our navy, but for our allies | :47:45. | :47:48. | |
around the world as well. Because it will be exactly the type of ship | :47:49. | :47:52. | |
that will replace the 26 around the world if we get the build right and | :47:53. | :47:56. | |
we actually get it out there, which is something the previous | :47:57. | :47:59. | |
administration forgot to do. Number 12, Sir. In Iraq, operations to | :48:00. | :48:07. | |
liberate Mosul are progressing with Iraqi security forces reclaiming | :48:08. | :48:10. | |
increasing areas of Eastern Mosul. Many of those involved in the | :48:11. | :48:16. | |
operation are amongst more than 31,000 Iraqi troops trained by the | :48:17. | :48:22. | |
UK in engineering and medical skills. In Syria, coalition support | :48:23. | :48:30. | |
has pushed Daesh back to the border. Now there's a move on Raqqa. | :48:31. | :48:35. | |
When my right honourable friend meets many counterparts later this | :48:36. | :48:39. | |
week, can he confirm that he'll focus the discussion on how the | :48:40. | :48:42. | |
threat of Daesh can be defeated, particularly in Iraq? Well, yes. We | :48:43. | :48:49. | |
will be reviewing the military progress that's been made, which is | :48:50. | :48:53. | |
substantial in Iraq. Daesh have less than 10% of Iraq now. We will also | :48:54. | :48:58. | |
be mapping out the long-term plan to bring peace and stability, in | :48:59. | :49:02. | |
particular, to western Iraq and we will also be working as a coalition | :49:03. | :49:10. | |
to monitor the dispersal of Daesh fighters from Iraq, who may be | :49:11. | :49:18. | |
moving to other theatres. Doesn't the - we've seen Daesh move into pal | :49:19. | :49:23. | |
mira this week, doesn't this show a lack of coherent strategy. With had | :49:24. | :49:28. | |
a debate 12 months ago about boots on the ground. Shouldn't Secretary | :49:29. | :49:33. | |
of State be calling for that in the United Nationses? Otherwise we will | :49:34. | :49:38. | |
see the slaughter of innocents, it will go on and on. There isn't any | :49:39. | :49:44. | |
support at the United Nations for the deployment of troops in Syria | :49:45. | :49:49. | |
and there may not be support in this House for the deployment of British | :49:50. | :49:54. | |
troops on the ground. Our role has been to provide the intelligence | :49:55. | :49:58. | |
gathering from the air and air strikes on the ground. The second | :49:59. | :50:02. | |
front has begun to be opened up now with a move by the Syrian democratic | :50:03. | :50:08. | |
forces on towards Raqqa, which is in effect the capital of the caliphate, | :50:09. | :50:13. | |
that began at ebbed of last week -- end. How many fighters have | :50:14. | :50:20. | |
originating from the United Kingdom have been killed in the various | :50:21. | :50:24. | |
regions, how many remain and how many have returned to the UK? I can | :50:25. | :50:29. | |
write to my honourable friend with the exact numbers involved, but we | :50:30. | :50:33. | |
believe several hundred British fighters still remain in either Iraq | :50:34. | :50:39. | |
or Syria. There are many thousands foreign fighters all together from | :50:40. | :50:42. | |
Western Europe and further afield. One of the issues we will be | :50:43. | :50:48. | |
considering this week is now we properly monitor their dispersal, | :50:49. | :50:52. | |
either to other theatres or back to our respective countries and how | :50:53. | :50:56. | |
those who have fought for a prescribed organisation like Daesh | :50:57. | :51:01. | |
can be properly brought to justice. There's no need to write. | :51:02. | :51:04. | |
THE SPEAKER: Very generous spirited of the right honourable gentleman. | :51:05. | :51:10. | |
Number 14, Sir. Thank you Mr Speaker. This Government is | :51:11. | :51:13. | |
committed to increasing the defence budget by 0. 5% a glory real terms | :51:14. | :51:22. | |
as well as increasing our budget 1% above inflation each year until | :51:23. | :51:26. | |
2020. This means more ships, more planes and an increase in cutting | :51:27. | :51:29. | |
edge equipment for our Special Forces. | :51:30. | :51:31. | |
THE SPEAKER: One of the great merits of the clerk in front of me, is I'm | :51:32. | :51:38. | |
on the end of his special advice. For the member of New Forest west | :51:39. | :51:42. | |
and of the House, that the letter to which reference was made is strictly | :51:43. | :51:48. | |
speaking a letter to the House and for its benefit, so notwithstanding | :51:49. | :51:52. | |
the motivation of the right honourable friend in saying, you | :51:53. | :51:57. | |
needn't write. If I may with the greatest of respect say to a | :51:58. | :52:01. | |
distinguished former minister, that's not for a right honourable | :52:02. | :52:07. | |
gentleman is to judge. If the right honourable gentleman is | :52:08. | :52:08. | |
disinterested in it, others might be. We'll leave it. There -- it | :52:09. | :52:18. | |
there. The honourable gentleman championeders from a sedentary | :52:19. | :52:23. | |
position, how will we find it. Ed tole along to the library. Can my | :52:24. | :52:29. | |
honourable friend reassure me we will continue to provide the best | :52:30. | :52:32. | |
possible equipment to the armed forces and where appropriate and | :52:33. | :52:35. | |
where that standard is met that will be equipment developed and | :52:36. | :52:40. | |
manufactured in the United Kingdom? Well, my honourable friend is right | :52:41. | :52:45. | |
that we do need to focus on the best equipment getting the right | :52:46. | :52:50. | |
capability for our armed forces. We will seek the best value for money | :52:51. | :52:55. | |
for the taxpayer. We will seek to get that UK content as strong as | :52:56. | :52:59. | |
possible. For example, with the F35, 15% of each of the 3,000 planes in | :53:00. | :53:05. | |
the global programme are made at Walton in the North West. The UK has | :53:06. | :53:09. | |
been selected as the global repair hub for a large number of elements | :53:10. | :53:14. | |
for the maintenance repair overhaul and upgrade | :53:15. | :53:18. | |
-- these fantastic aircraft. THE SPEAKER: We must move on. | :53:19. | :53:24. | |
Topical number one, Mr Speaker. ... Remain success in our operations | :53:25. | :53:29. | |
against Daesh and implementing our Strategic Defence and Security | :53:30. | :53:32. | |
Review. As I told the House on Thursday I chair the next meeting of | :53:33. | :53:36. | |
defence ministers from across the coalition against Daesh, reviewing | :53:37. | :53:40. | |
progress in Iraq and now in Syria and mapping out longer term plans | :53:41. | :53:43. | |
for peace and stability in the region. On Saturday, I visited a | :53:44. | :53:53. | |
27-year-old father of two, a brave RAF serviceman who's dedicated the | :53:54. | :53:57. | |
past ten years of his life to the RAF. Now he's dying of terminal | :53:58. | :54:05. | |
bowel cancer. Despite this devastating diagnosis now he's | :54:06. | :54:11. | |
raised money for the hospice. Will the Secretary of State pay tribute | :54:12. | :54:18. | |
to -- tribute to him. I'm happy to pay that tribute. The senior air | :54:19. | :54:26. | |
craftsman was a man of the highest calibre, who was in Afghanistan and | :54:27. | :54:29. | |
Libya. His wife and young daughter should be in no doubt of the highest | :54:30. | :54:34. | |
regard which the Royal Air Force holds him. We are all impressed and | :54:35. | :54:39. | |
inspired by the courage shown from his sick bed in raising so much | :54:40. | :54:45. | |
money for the hospice. Following the Government's announcement of base | :54:46. | :54:48. | |
closures, what guarantees has the Ministry of Defence given to | :54:49. | :54:52. | |
civilian staff regarding their future employment? As the honourable | :54:53. | :54:57. | |
gentleman knows, I think supported at the time, we've had to reduce the | :54:58. | :55:03. | |
number of bases to ensure that our servicemen and women are in better | :55:04. | :55:08. | |
accommodation, in fewer remote areas and in places where they have more | :55:09. | :55:14. | |
chance of their spouses getting into, or partners getting into | :55:15. | :55:18. | |
employment. Obviously, the civilian jobs that may be affected will be | :55:19. | :55:24. | |
with plenty of time. We have set out generous time scales for discussion | :55:25. | :55:27. | |
and these moves are not immediate. We will certainly do everything we | :55:28. | :55:31. | |
can to ensure those civilians are properly looked after. What steps is | :55:32. | :55:37. | |
my honourable friend taking to increase Britain's defence | :55:38. | :55:39. | |
representation around the world to promote our security and prosperity? | :55:40. | :55:44. | |
I can tell my honourable friend that we have this year established | :55:45. | :55:49. | |
regional defence staffs in the Gulf, based in Dubai, in Asia Pacific, | :55:50. | :55:53. | |
based in Singapore and in Africa based in Abuja. That fulfils the | :55:54. | :55:58. | |
defence engagement commitment we made in the Strategic Defence Review | :55:59. | :56:02. | |
last year. These new regional defence staffs will work with our | :56:03. | :56:06. | |
international partners to protect and advance our interests by | :56:07. | :56:12. | |
reinforcing bilateral and multi-lateral defence relationships. | :56:13. | :56:16. | |
end. We have heard about how aid is not getting into Aleppo, but it is | :56:17. | :56:23. | |
also stopping civilians leaving and medics getting out safely. What | :56:24. | :56:28. | |
steps I be taking and what discussions are we having to ensure | :56:29. | :56:32. | |
safe passage in this intolerable situation? Hospitals are being | :56:33. | :56:39. | |
bombed and humanitarian aid convoys are being attacked and it is very | :56:40. | :56:44. | |
clear that the Russian and Syrian regimes are not prepared to allow | :56:45. | :56:52. | |
the aid should get in to get in. Further discussions about this in | :56:53. | :56:56. | |
Paris on Saturday and there will be further discussions in the days | :56:57. | :57:01. | |
ahead, but until Russia lifts its bar on getting aid into those parts | :57:02. | :57:08. | |
of eastern Aleppo, my fear is that a large number of people are going to | :57:09. | :57:19. | |
die. Will the Secretary of State join me, I have lost my voice which | :57:20. | :57:25. | |
will please many people... Will be Secretary of State join me in | :57:26. | :57:32. | |
condemning those people who have condensed our deployment of troops | :57:33. | :57:37. | |
in Estonia is being provocative and agree with me that the Baltic states | :57:38. | :57:41. | |
themselves have welcomed it in the face of aggression from Russia? | :57:42. | :57:53. | |
The leader of the Labour Party is called for a demilitarised zone | :57:54. | :57:59. | |
between Nato and Russia. It would be interesting to hear if the rest of | :58:00. | :58:02. | |
the Labour Party agrees with that, because President Putin would. The | :58:03. | :58:13. | |
cost of the Poseidon vessels that are being bought is $300 million. | :58:14. | :58:23. | |
Our cost is the two $400 million. Does the Secretary of State value | :58:24. | :58:31. | |
for money? I am not sure the exact point that the Honourable Gentleman | :58:32. | :58:34. | |
is making, because if it was up to him and his party we would not be | :58:35. | :58:39. | |
buying these vehicles or basing them on Scotland. When my right | :58:40. | :58:47. | |
honourable friend -- will my right honourable friend support me for | :58:48. | :58:53. | |
bringing the innovation hub for words that can help with the rapid | :58:54. | :59:00. | |
innovation of on a -- innovation of unmanned vehicles? I thank him for | :59:01. | :59:08. | |
his campaigning by half of the work done it in his constituency on | :59:09. | :59:14. | |
interesting and innovative projects, like an unmanned helicopter system. | :59:15. | :59:23. | |
We're committed over ten years to spend ?3 billion as part of our | :59:24. | :59:30. | |
partner arrangement. The Israeli and US Navy have been attacked by | :59:31. | :59:35. | |
anti-ship missiles. Is it not time that we look again at the type 31 | :59:36. | :59:43. | |
frigate and make sure they have the right capabilities? In terms of the | :59:44. | :59:51. | |
important question that she and asks, it is very important that the | :59:52. | :59:57. | |
Royal Naval continually assesses the capabilities with which ships are | :59:58. | :00:00. | |
affected and there will be details I cannot go into at the dispatch box | :00:01. | :00:06. | |
because they are sensitive due to operational requirements. Frigates | :00:07. | :00:13. | |
and destroyers are currently protected they are harpoons, but | :00:14. | :00:18. | |
they are coming out of service in 2008 team leaving them defended by | :00:19. | :00:25. | |
Mark eight guns of the range of 17 miles, will the Minister consider | :00:26. | :00:30. | |
looking again at extending the service life of the harpoon missile | :00:31. | :00:37. | |
to defend our ships? The Royal Navy is continually assessing the | :00:38. | :00:39. | |
capabilities it requires and work are going across the MOD to consider | :00:40. | :00:43. | |
the options for the harpoon replacement. Thanks to the custom | :00:44. | :00:49. | |
commissions act brought in by the Labour Government, we do not sell | :00:50. | :00:55. | |
custom permissions any more, but the Government is also required to | :00:56. | :00:59. | |
persuade its allies not to use cluster munitions either. What is | :01:00. | :01:05. | |
the Government doing to try to stop the Saudis using cluster ammunition | :01:06. | :01:12. | |
in Yemen? In line with our obligations under the Convention, we | :01:13. | :01:18. | |
continue to actively discourage all states from using cluster munitions | :01:19. | :01:23. | |
and we encourage them to do so without delay. We have raised the | :01:24. | :01:28. | |
ratification of this with ministers in Saudi Arabia. I was disappointed | :01:29. | :01:35. | |
to learn staff reductions at EAE, including in Rochester. Kid my right | :01:36. | :01:42. | |
honourable friend outlined what support his department can offer to | :01:43. | :01:45. | |
local suppliers to make sure that the skills behind the innovation are | :01:46. | :01:52. | |
secure my constituency? I share my honourable friend's disappointment | :01:53. | :01:55. | |
at the news that BAE Systems juicing employment in Rochester because I | :01:56. | :02:01. | |
think we're spending a lot of money with them at the moment, but I'm | :02:02. | :02:05. | |
sure that the people she mentions have exemplary skills and I can | :02:06. | :02:09. | |
certainly see a part of the Government that we will do | :02:10. | :02:11. | |
everything we can to make sure that those skills are redeployed in other | :02:12. | :02:20. | |
areas of the specialty. Further to her answer to the earlier question | :02:21. | :02:25. | |
that she confirmed about the budget, that should tell us when the last of | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
the six type 45 destroyers will have the harpoon system? I cannot give | :02:31. | :02:38. | |
him an exact timetable because it has not been finalised, but I can | :02:39. | :02:41. | |
tell him that the budget is in place and the contract will be competed in | :02:42. | :02:45. | |
the normal way and that ongoing improvements are being made all the | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
time and have been made to that propulsion system. Do ministers | :02:50. | :03:02. | |
accept that the type 31 general-purpose frigates are the | :03:03. | :03:06. | |
only chance we will have for a generation to raise up the total of | :03:07. | :03:12. | |
Escort is from 19 back to the sort of figures that we used to have when | :03:13. | :03:17. | |
we had an oceangoing Navy with another vessel to protect it. Will | :03:18. | :03:22. | |
she ensure that the design of these frigates is chosen to be of the most | :03:23. | :03:27. | |
economical nature and that all the bells and whistles can be added on | :03:28. | :03:30. | |
later but the maximum number of holes must be commissioned. We have | :03:31. | :03:41. | |
some 29 ships serving on the seven seas around the world at the moment | :03:42. | :03:47. | |
and I'm sure that as his point is good about the export ability of the | :03:48. | :03:51. | |
type 31 frigate and our ambition to raise the number of frigates and | :03:52. | :04:04. | |
destroyers above the current 19. Exceptionally, I understand that it | :04:05. | :04:08. | |
flows from what has taken place, I will hear a point of order now. But | :04:09. | :04:12. | |
I'm sure the Honourable Gentleman will not abuse his privilege. During | :04:13. | :04:19. | |
defence questions it was raised that the shipbuilding strategy had been | :04:20. | :04:23. | |
published and that he would send a signed copy to my honourable friend. | :04:24. | :04:26. | |
But when cross | :04:27. | :04:32. |