:00:11. > :00:17.Welcome to BBC Parliament fly from Westminster. In an hour's time the
:00:18. > :00:23.MPs will look at the notification of withdrawal rubble, the article which
:00:24. > :00:32.starts the formal process of Britain leaving the EU. Live to the House of
:00:33. > :00:36.Commons. Order order. Questions to the Secretary of State of defence,
:00:37. > :00:43.Liz McInnis. Question number one Mr Speaker. The provision of quality
:00:44. > :00:48.accommodation is at the heart of the Armed Forces covenants. Around 94%
:00:49. > :00:52.of the UK service family accommodation is at decent standard
:00:53. > :00:58.or above. Only service family accommodation of the standards will
:00:59. > :01:02.be allocated to new occupants. Since April 2016 around 14 and a half
:01:03. > :01:09.thousand kitchens, bathrooms, kitchens, roofs, and some thousands
:01:10. > :01:14.of new boys have been installed. Thank you for the response that the
:01:15. > :01:18.arms forces continuous attitude survey in 2016 showed a significant
:01:19. > :01:21.drop in satisfaction amongst those living in service family
:01:22. > :01:27.accommodation with a decrease of seven percentage points to just 50%.
:01:28. > :01:31.Can the Minister assure the House that a further drop in satisfaction
:01:32. > :01:40.would lead to urgent action being taken? I can but I'm confident after
:01:41. > :01:45.the intervention last year and the get well planned that was in the
:01:46. > :01:49.Druze we have seen significant improvement which may not have yet
:01:50. > :01:58.to filter down. The recent stats from that show we have risen to a
:01:59. > :02:02.61% satisfaction rate. We take this very seriously which is why I'm
:02:03. > :02:09.keeping a close eye on it and I believe the standard should improve.
:02:10. > :02:13.Mr Speaker, could I congratulate my honourable friend on the progress
:02:14. > :02:22.they have made on the contract that would he agree with me that
:02:23. > :02:23.continuing to have service family accommodation is absolutely critical
:02:24. > :02:29.in providing a supportive arrangement for families when their
:02:30. > :02:36.loved ones are away on operations are indeed upon extended exercises?
:02:37. > :02:41.I think what our want is choice and support. What I would say to my
:02:42. > :02:51.honourable friend is that only last week I visited Salisbury Plain and
:02:52. > :02:59.where I saw some 1000 brand-new service family personnel, they do
:03:00. > :03:04.take the matter seriously and I'm confident that SFA will continue to
:03:05. > :03:08.be provided and some of those homes are a first-rate standard but it is
:03:09. > :03:14.about trying to support the modern lifestyle of our service families in
:03:15. > :03:19.the way that they work. A recent survey on the future of military
:03:20. > :03:24.housing showed that if SFA was reduced in favour of a rental
:03:25. > :03:29.allowance, 30% would leave the army and a further 46% would consider
:03:30. > :03:32.leaving. What does the Minister think the Government's future
:03:33. > :03:37.accommodation model would do for retention rates? It is all about
:03:38. > :03:42.choice and if the honourable Member looked at the survey he would
:03:43. > :03:46.realise that the overwhelming number of young soldiers, sailors and
:03:47. > :03:52.airmen support the model that we are supposing. We are yet to make any
:03:53. > :03:58.firm decision, we have reduced it to seven options that I will keep the
:03:59. > :04:01.House fully informed as we progress. Thank you Mr Speaker, whilst I
:04:02. > :04:06.welcome the comments, so far we still have 40,000 members who have
:04:07. > :04:11.not been consulted on the future accommodation model and for those
:04:12. > :04:18.that have there is anxiety as to whether the SFA remains a real
:04:19. > :04:27.option. I will refer to the earlier comments as I say only last week I
:04:28. > :04:30.visited Salisbury Plain where we are building 1000 new SFA units. SFA
:04:31. > :04:35.will remain an option but it is absolutely clear that one size does
:04:36. > :04:38.not fit all and depending where you are serving in the United Kingdom,
:04:39. > :04:47.different options will have to be available. Mr Speaker, last November
:04:48. > :04:52.the National Audit Office reported and I quote exactly that, poor
:04:53. > :04:55.accommodation for service families is affecting the morale and the
:04:56. > :05:02.recruitment and retention of service personnel. In other words the
:05:03. > :05:09.situation is deplorable. My concern is lip service is being paid. Surely
:05:10. > :05:14.the goodness, warm words and tinkering is not enough, real action
:05:15. > :05:19.is needed. Why would the minister acknowledged this and not introduce
:05:20. > :05:24.improvements quickly? I'm disappointed to hear the honourable
:05:25. > :05:29.Member's comments, only last year some ?64 million was invested in
:05:30. > :05:34.service family accommodation, next year will be investing some ?80
:05:35. > :05:38.million, perhaps rather than sitting on the green benches in Parliament,
:05:39. > :05:49.he would like to take up my offer to see some of the new build that we
:05:50. > :05:54.are building. Here it is, so come rather than constantly carping. When
:05:55. > :05:58.service personnel are on active service abroad, the last thing they
:05:59. > :06:01.need our problems with the domestic arrangements and accommodation at
:06:02. > :06:06.home so will the Minister and short when service personnel are an active
:06:07. > :06:12.deployment that the helpline works perfectly for the partners at home.
:06:13. > :06:16.I think my honourable friend makes a valuable point. I think when spouses
:06:17. > :06:20.are overseas, this is absolutely the time when they must focus on
:06:21. > :06:26.offering support. I will look very carefully at what my honourable
:06:27. > :06:29.friend says. Does the Minister agree that accommodation is central to
:06:30. > :06:33.satisfaction rate and Woody therefore agreed that after
:06:34. > :06:39.investing the money in Chester it would be a false economy to now
:06:40. > :06:46.close down the barracks? The driver for the better defence is military
:06:47. > :06:49.capability, it is important that we have good quality accommodation and
:06:50. > :06:55.as he knows it would be relocated in his part of the world and we will
:06:56. > :07:03.carefully at that. Question to. I regularly discuss the need to reform
:07:04. > :07:06.Nato including the new secretary of defence James Mattis who I met at
:07:07. > :07:13.the Nato defence Mr meeting last month. We want Nato to become
:07:14. > :07:17.genuinely adaptable which is less bureaucratic, faster and better at
:07:18. > :07:20.making decisions and to respond more effectively till wide range of
:07:21. > :07:26.threats including cyber, hybrid international terrorism. Thank the
:07:27. > :07:32.Minister for his response and I would ask with the Nato operation in
:07:33. > :07:34.Afghanistan, still it is most significant, will my right
:07:35. > :07:39.honourable friend join me in paying tribute to all of those who have
:07:40. > :07:42.served and agreed that this underlines that Nato has the
:07:43. > :07:48.comparability is to combat terror and going into the future would be
:07:49. > :07:55.more? Yes. We remember the service and sacrifice of those who fought
:07:56. > :07:57.terrorism in Afghanistan. Our commitment as part of the resolute
:07:58. > :08:03.support mission remains crucial in helping to build the capacity of the
:08:04. > :08:08.Afghan security forces to defend their country as my honourable
:08:09. > :08:12.friend implies. It is Nato that has the mandate, the operational
:08:13. > :08:15.experience and the tools to help the fight against international
:08:16. > :08:22.terrorism and we will continue to push Nato to do more in the Middle
:08:23. > :08:25.East and North Africa. Can I ask the Secretary of State when he has had
:08:26. > :08:28.discussions with his US counterpart on what he thought about the
:08:29. > :08:36.capabilities of Nato in terms of dealing with Russia and elsewhere?
:08:37. > :08:42.This is the year in which Nato is deploying its enhanced forward
:08:43. > :08:51.presence and Britain is leading that deployment and we will, our troops
:08:52. > :08:56.would be leaving for Estonia this week and will be deploying in Poland
:08:57. > :09:02.and in Romania. The best way to reassure our allies in Nato and to
:09:03. > :09:09.deter any aggression is for Nato to stand up. It has been made clear to
:09:10. > :09:17.start at a recent assembly Nato has a of allies on the Hill on Congress
:09:18. > :09:20.on both sides, does my right honourable friend agree that he
:09:21. > :09:28.needs to make the case to Europe stepping up to commitment to spend
:09:29. > :09:31.at least 2% of GDP on defence? We will make that commitment, the
:09:32. > :09:36.United States, ourselves and the rest of Nato back at the oral summit
:09:37. > :09:40.2.5 years ago. We meet the spending target and we continue to press our
:09:41. > :09:47.allies to step up to the plate and do so too. Can I push the Secretary
:09:48. > :09:52.of State to tell the House, but by the American saying about what size
:09:53. > :09:57.Nato should be? Not just a percentage of GDP but how big should
:09:58. > :10:02.it be, how does it compare with the strength of the Russians and what
:10:03. > :10:07.will we do if the Russians invaded across some of the countries in
:10:08. > :10:16.Europe? To be responded to with the legendary prisoner so the Secretary
:10:17. > :10:19.of State. The purpose of the Alliance, America want to see all
:10:20. > :10:24.members of the alliance making a fairer contribution to the overall
:10:25. > :10:28.standing. The collective nature of the defence has been underlined by
:10:29. > :10:35.invoking article five only once before in favour of the United
:10:36. > :10:39.States. Number three Mr Speaker. With the mission missed this week I
:10:40. > :10:44.would like to answer questions three and 15 together. The 2016 Cumberland
:10:45. > :10:49.annual report demonstrates the progress that has been made since
:10:50. > :10:54.the covenant was enshrined by law. Today I am pleased to announce a new
:10:55. > :10:58.initiative by the main broadband providers. Personnel posted to a
:10:59. > :11:02.location not covered by their current provider can now cancel
:11:03. > :11:04.their broadband without incurring any additional fees, I would like to
:11:05. > :11:18.thank beat C, E, plus net, talk Councillor McCarthy in Rochdale
:11:19. > :11:23.Council go above and beyond when it comes to delivering the Armed Forces
:11:24. > :11:27.covenants, this includes having a dedicated council officer to ensure
:11:28. > :11:32.that those who fought for our country are properly looked after.
:11:33. > :11:35.Will the Minister congratulates Rochdale Council in its successes
:11:36. > :11:40.and encourage other councils to follow suit? I heartily congratulate
:11:41. > :11:43.and thank all those at Rochdale Borough Council and the honourable
:11:44. > :11:47.member for their efforts. They've introduced measures that make a real
:11:48. > :11:51.difference to the Armed Forces community. These range from
:11:52. > :11:55.practical support to our ex-service community seeking social housing to
:11:56. > :12:01.the naming of streets in recognition of their local Armed Forces heroes.
:12:02. > :12:07.I commend this fine example and wish them well in their support of the
:12:08. > :12:12.covenant. There is an amazing work being undertaken by the British
:12:13. > :12:17.Legion and other charities across the UK. The head of the Armed Forces
:12:18. > :12:20.charity has warned that the Armed Forces government lacks bite and
:12:21. > :12:24.many local authorities think it is an option rather than an obligation.
:12:25. > :12:28.Can the Minister tell us more about the government is doing to reinforce
:12:29. > :12:37.how essential the covenant actually is? There is acceptance across this
:12:38. > :12:41.House over how important it is. Every local authority in the UK has
:12:42. > :12:46.signed the covenant. Last year we sent out a survey to try and
:12:47. > :12:51.establish better practice. We now move onto the next page which is to
:12:52. > :12:54.ensure that we are looking carefully at the authorities and other
:12:55. > :12:59.organisations that are not doing what they said they would do.
:13:00. > :13:02.Ultimately, we can revoke the agreement with them, but I would
:13:03. > :13:08.like to think we would never get to that stage. Can he say a bit more
:13:09. > :13:16.about the corporate governance, the business element of the covenant, so
:13:17. > :13:23.many companies make attempts to help service families and personnel. As
:13:24. > :13:28.my honourable friend knows, we have now combine both the community
:13:29. > :13:31.covenant and the corporate covenant into the Armed Forces covenants. I
:13:32. > :13:40.would buy later this week we would be in a position where 1500 but must
:13:41. > :13:45.-- 1500 businesses have signed up to this. It is a two-way deal word is a
:13:46. > :13:48.case for the Armed Forces also through the skill sets that we give
:13:49. > :13:53.to our Armed Forces personnel to provide skills that will help
:13:54. > :13:57.businesses as well. Could the Minister help me please replied the
:13:58. > :14:01.department will be spending the savings bid from the cancellation of
:14:02. > :14:13.a contract to improve communications were serving personnel? Since its
:14:14. > :14:20.peak, the use of Ede police has produced by 96%. Sometimes it can
:14:21. > :14:22.cost ?17. All of the money that has been saved will be reinvested and
:14:23. > :14:28.there is no where overseas who don't have access to the Internet, but we
:14:29. > :14:35.are looking carefully to ensure that nobody will be disadvantaged when
:14:36. > :14:40.the new services introduced. At a recent session of the Defence Select
:14:41. > :14:42.Committee I shared with the Minister correspondence from the Ben Health
:14:43. > :14:46.Minister from Northern Ireland, neither leader of Sinn Fein in
:14:47. > :14:51.Northern Ireland, who pointedly said the Armed Forces covenant does not
:14:52. > :14:57.apply here. What advice and guidance can the Minister give in this face
:14:58. > :15:00.of such intransigence? We all understand that the Armed Forces
:15:01. > :15:06.covenant applies throughout the United Kingdom. I appreciate there
:15:07. > :15:10.are specific challenges in Northern Ireland. I have said that they're
:15:11. > :15:15.making that a priority this year and I will be visiting Northern Ireland
:15:16. > :15:29.very shortly. Question number four, Mr Speaker. 365 days a year the
:15:30. > :15:31.Royal Navy are deployed. Whether maintaining our contingency,
:15:32. > :15:36.providing reassurance for overseas territories, or to counter
:15:37. > :15:42.narcotics, we will be there when we are needed. Given that the Ministry
:15:43. > :15:46.of Defence has confirmed that Plymouth will be the centre for the
:15:47. > :15:55.Royal Marines, has my right honourable friend considered basing
:15:56. > :15:59.all of the type 23 is in Devonport? We will be looking very carefully at
:16:00. > :16:05.exactly where as the new ships come on stream and the huge expenditure,
:16:06. > :16:09.?63 billion of expenditure, on the Royal Navy in the next few years.
:16:10. > :16:14.I'm sure as we look at that we will make sure Devonport gets a very
:16:15. > :16:25.good-looking. One of the key roles of the Royal Navy is to meet the
:16:26. > :16:30.Nato commitments we have. Could he say whether or not the new type 31
:16:31. > :16:40.frigate will actually be able to meet those commitments in Nato? I am
:16:41. > :16:48.sure when the type 23 frigates comes in its... Type 31, I apologise. We
:16:49. > :16:57.commit with Nato around the world. HMS Ocean has just returned from the
:16:58. > :17:01.Gulf. HMS daring is just back from the Straits of her movies. I was
:17:02. > :17:05.woken in the early hours because one of our civilian yachts was in
:17:06. > :17:10.distress with the crew of 14 and injured, that type 45 sale 500 miles
:17:11. > :17:16.to rescue them. That is exactly what her Navy is for. Clearly, the role
:17:17. > :17:20.of the Royal Navy going forward will be even more important in the
:17:21. > :17:23.future, could my honourable friend update the house on exactly how many
:17:24. > :17:31.ships will be bought and what type of ships they will be? We will have
:17:32. > :17:35.new frigates, new submarines, new aircraft carriers, new patrol
:17:36. > :17:42.vessels to support them. ?63 billion of expenditure going forward. The
:17:43. > :17:49.Royal Navy are at the forefront of tackling the migration crisis in the
:17:50. > :17:55.Mediterranean by training the Libyan coast guard. Are they not allowed to
:17:56. > :17:58.enter Libyan waters are supposed international waters, because that
:17:59. > :18:03.is the way to stop the people traffickers sending the votes in the
:18:04. > :18:08.place? He is absolutely right. We have been pressing for this for some
:18:09. > :18:13.time. We have been training Coast Guard and we want to do more but at
:18:14. > :18:22.the moment we can't enter that area. For some two decades Nato has my
:18:23. > :18:27.focus has been largely land-based. When I acknowledge that the threat
:18:28. > :18:31.is increasingly going to come in the north Atlantic and Arctic,
:18:32. > :18:36.particularly with the reinvention of the Russian concept, and Nato will
:18:37. > :18:43.have to turn its attention back to that area of threat. Ensure that we
:18:44. > :18:48.would all agree that the Royal Navy is capable of doing what we ask it
:18:49. > :18:51.to do and like we had is with the return to Eastern Europe for me. We
:18:52. > :18:57.are turned away from that situation, with land event is an air defences,
:18:58. > :19:01.that is what the Royal Navy will be doing as well. We have astute class
:19:02. > :19:08.submarines which are too slow to keep up with the US carriers, we
:19:09. > :19:12.have no maritime patrol aircraft, we are also waiting for the type 26
:19:13. > :19:15.contract to be signed and still no sign of the shipbuilding strategy.
:19:16. > :19:22.At a time when Russian incursions are going through the waters at cold
:19:23. > :19:26.water levels, does the Minister agree with me that it is time for
:19:27. > :19:34.the Scottish people to take these decisions for themselves and defend
:19:35. > :19:37.our country? If the Scottish people want to have their Armed Forces
:19:38. > :19:48.rundown and tomorrow lies they should listen to what the gentleman
:19:49. > :19:51.has just said. Does my right honourable friend agree with me that
:19:52. > :19:55.after we leave the European Union this is something that we should
:19:56. > :20:01.continue to use fully cooperate with our European neighbours on? We are
:20:02. > :20:05.leaving the European Union, not leaving Europe. We continue to
:20:06. > :20:09.consider what we can do with our European friends, even though we
:20:10. > :20:13.will be leaving the European Union. Last week there were reports of
:20:14. > :20:18.increased activity and a number of ships move in and check the UK
:20:19. > :20:24.waters having deactivated their tracking system. A separate ship
:20:25. > :20:29.called in health -- called into Algeria Ben Moreau got the coast of
:20:30. > :20:32.either in my constituency. With this increased level of suspicious
:20:33. > :20:38.activity and Scotland's proximity to the Arctic that we have a sufficient
:20:39. > :20:45.number of large surface ships to meet that threat? The ships don't
:20:46. > :20:48.have to be based in Scotland to protect Scotland and protect the
:20:49. > :20:54.United Kingdom. They are at sea and that is what they should be doing
:20:55. > :20:57.and that is what we are doing. How can the Minister said that they
:20:58. > :21:02.don't need to be based in Scotland to protect Scotland's underworld's
:21:03. > :21:07.hotspot is the high North Sea and Arctic. Does the Minister think that
:21:08. > :21:11.having no large Royal Navy surface ships based in Scotland is the best
:21:12. > :21:16.way to protect Scotland and to meet our obligations to our Nordic
:21:17. > :21:21.neighbours and allies in the high North? All of our submarines,
:21:22. > :21:26.including the nuclear deterrent, but that party wants to get rid of our
:21:27. > :21:36.based in Scotland. Ships at sea is what we need not hiding imports.
:21:37. > :21:39.Number five, Mr Speaker. The department's career transition
:21:40. > :21:42.partnership provides a robust and effective system to protect service
:21:43. > :21:50.personnel entering the civilian workforce. It provides one-to-one
:21:51. > :21:54.advice and guidance and training opportunities to 15,000 service
:21:55. > :21:57.personnel each year. It is entirely unacceptable that the unemployment
:21:58. > :22:02.rate for veterans should be a third higher than that for non-veterans.
:22:03. > :22:07.Service personnel have said to me they find it difficult to translate
:22:08. > :22:10.their important experience on the battlefield into the softer skills
:22:11. > :22:16.that industry requires to date, such as teamwork, management,
:22:17. > :22:20.communications except. What is he specifically doing to address that?
:22:21. > :22:28.I have no idea with the honourable lady gets her facts from -- where
:22:29. > :22:33.the honourable lady gets facts from. 85% of bird service personnel find
:22:34. > :22:41.implement within six months which is 10% higher than the UK population.
:22:42. > :22:44.Service leavers have been highly trained and possess highly
:22:45. > :22:48.transferable skills which add value to any company. What more can be
:22:49. > :22:53.done to ensure that civilian employers understand the value of
:22:54. > :22:56.former service personnel? I think this is exactly where the Armed
:22:57. > :23:01.Forces covenant comes in and why we must be so careful in the size when
:23:02. > :23:04.he seemed determined sometimes to talk our veterans died. The sort of
:23:05. > :23:09.skills that they can bring to civilian companies are very valuable
:23:10. > :23:17.and something that reinforced by that 95% of our recruits join an
:23:18. > :23:20.apprenticeship scheme. Our affair printer some of the most
:23:21. > :23:24.hard-working dedicated and experienced men and women that any
:23:25. > :23:27.employer could ask for yet many of us have heard troubling stories of
:23:28. > :23:31.discrimination against former service men and women in the jobs
:23:32. > :23:36.market. Does the Minister agree that we should act to make discrimination
:23:37. > :23:38.against the forces community are legal in order to protect our
:23:39. > :23:43.service personnel from any prejudice service personnel from any prejudice
:23:44. > :23:46.they may face? I welcome him to the dispatch box and couldn't agree more
:23:47. > :23:50.with his opening comments and perhaps he needs to educate his
:23:51. > :23:53.colleagues about that. This is precisely why we have the Armed
:23:54. > :23:57.Forces covenant because this is what we are trying to do through that
:23:58. > :24:01.mechanism to ensure that the value of veterans is fully understood but
:24:02. > :24:08.the wider society. Question number six. Ministers have regular
:24:09. > :24:14.discussions with international counterparts on Nato's 2% of GDP
:24:15. > :24:18.spending target. It is important that all Nato allies meet the 2%
:24:19. > :24:24.commitment then made at the wheel summit in 2014. Can the Minister
:24:25. > :24:29.name which of our Nato allies do not currently spend 2% of GDP on defence
:24:30. > :24:41.and what excuses are given for not doing so? Click 23 that don't spent
:24:42. > :24:46.2% would take too long to list, but I can reassure my honourable friend
:24:47. > :24:51.that the five that to meet the 2% target by the US, the UK, Poland,
:24:52. > :24:59.Greece and Estonia and I'm sure my honourable friend can't deduce the
:25:00. > :25:07.absentees. Germany currently spends 1.23% of GDP, 36 billion euros. This
:25:08. > :25:17.then 2% it would need to almost double that to 60 billion euros.
:25:18. > :25:21.Does the Minister appreciate that are rearmed Germany would
:25:22. > :25:25.concern to some of their neighbours, concern to some of their neighbours,
:25:26. > :25:30.but also to Russia? It would in fact potentially increase the difficulty
:25:31. > :25:38.is that we face with tensions on the Russian border? With the greatest
:25:39. > :25:45.respect, we think it is incredibly important that all of the countries
:25:46. > :25:47.that are members of Nato, that share the responsibility, joint
:25:48. > :25:54.responsibility, for the defence of the Alliance have all committed to
:25:55. > :25:58.spend 2% at the Nato conference in Wales in 2014 and we welcome the
:25:59. > :26:03.fact that there are now eight further countries that are on a
:26:04. > :26:07.clear trajectory to me that 2% and we continue to have discussions,
:26:08. > :26:15.ministers across all departments of government, to encourage them to
:26:16. > :26:18.reach that 2%. I thought that was an extraordinary statement about
:26:19. > :26:25.Germany, I'd associate myself from her remarks. How many people come to
:26:26. > :26:29.the dispatch box to say the same thing? Some of our European partners
:26:30. > :26:32.take this whole thing for granted and know that we are the Americans
:26:33. > :26:39.picked up the bill. What are we going to do to get them to pay what
:26:40. > :26:43.they should pay? I like to reassure my honourable friend that there is
:26:44. > :26:48.progress, five countries now meet the 2% target, up from three in
:26:49. > :26:54.2014. There are now ten countries that meet the 20% pledge on major
:26:55. > :26:59.equipment and research and the cuts to defence spending overall have
:27:00. > :27:02.been halted. I'm sure that everyone could agree with the sentiments
:27:03. > :27:08.expressed that we cannot reiterate this too often, that we do hope that
:27:09. > :27:15.everyone will reach the 2% pledge soon. Last month the International
:27:16. > :27:20.Institute for strategic studies concluded that the government had
:27:21. > :27:23.missed the 2% Nato defence spending target and would have missed it by
:27:24. > :27:28.even more evident not included budgetary having such as pensions
:27:29. > :27:32.that do not contribute to our defence capabilities and were not
:27:33. > :27:36.included when Labour was in government. Is it not time that we
:27:37. > :27:41.went back to the criteria used for defence spending when this party was
:27:42. > :27:50.in power so we may give our Armed Forces the resources they need. I
:27:51. > :27:54.wonder if he has read the report of a Roman House of Commons Select
:27:55. > :27:59.Committee which says that they commend the UK Government's
:28:00. > :28:02.commitment to UK defence and finds that it's accounting criteria for
:28:03. > :28:06.firmly within existing native guidelines as does Nato itself. What
:28:07. > :28:11.would be worrying is that we followed his party who wants to see
:28:12. > :28:15.cuts to defence spending, abandonment of our Nato allies and
:28:16. > :28:27.scrapping of the nuclear deterrent. May I suggest there is one way she
:28:28. > :28:29.could avoid these arguments and that is to recognise that the last time
:28:30. > :28:52.we faced threats I appreciate my honourable friend's
:28:53. > :28:57.campaign but we are proud of the fact that we are spending more than
:28:58. > :29:04.the 2% and we have a growing defence budget for the first time for many
:29:05. > :29:11.years and we are on track to have a ?178 billion equipment plan over the
:29:12. > :29:17.next decade. With permission, I would like to answer this question.
:29:18. > :29:27.Iraqi forces continue to make good progress against Daesh. Yesterday,
:29:28. > :29:40.RAF Typhoon is supported them by demolishing a Daesh base. There are
:29:41. > :29:48.ten kilometres from the stronghold in Raqqa. Can my right honourable
:29:49. > :29:51.friend confirm that British forces and the coalition will continue to
:29:52. > :30:01.maintain pressure on Daesh and develop plans? Yes, we want to keep
:30:02. > :30:07.up the pressure on both. Forces are making good progress. Senior
:30:08. > :30:22.coalition officers, including from the UK, are working on how the
:30:23. > :30:28.coalition might support Raqqa. Recent reports from Iraqi state that
:30:29. > :30:35.mass graves have been uncovered in territory formerly held by Daesh.
:30:36. > :30:39.Can I ask the Ministry of Defence what support they are offering the
:30:40. > :30:44.Iraqi government to ensure these perpetrators are brought to justice
:30:45. > :30:53.swiftly? I'm grateful to the honourable lady. We are working to
:30:54. > :30:56.see how we can accumulate the evidence of those from Daesh, so
:30:57. > :31:02.they can be properly brought to justice, either in Iraqi or
:31:03. > :31:07.elsewhere. Will my right honourable friend update the house on how the
:31:08. > :31:13.coalition is monitoring the dispersal of Daesh fighters from
:31:14. > :31:18.Iraqi to other theatres? We work with other countries in the region
:31:19. > :31:25.to coordinate efforts to manage the threat posed by the dispersal of
:31:26. > :31:32.fighters. Around 30-40,000 extremists around the world travel
:31:33. > :31:41.to Syria and Iraq. Many will be killed in combat or relocate to
:31:42. > :31:49.other areas. Our current assessment is the large-scale dispersal is
:31:50. > :31:52.unlikely. Independent monitors report the International coalition
:31:53. > :32:00.has killed as many as 370 civilians in air strikes in one month. Have
:32:01. > :32:05.they investigated these claims and can they us that the UK deaths will
:32:06. > :32:11.not include that the UK strikes will not include this? The Royal air
:32:12. > :32:18.force make every effort to minimise the risk of civilian casualties. We
:32:19. > :32:21.work very closely with organisations where there are allegations that
:32:22. > :32:24.civilians have died as a result of coalition air strikes and we want to
:32:25. > :32:30.see those allegations fully investigated. Can my right
:32:31. > :32:36.honourable friend reassure the house we've done everything to help local
:32:37. > :32:42.and indigenous forces on the ground in relation to the liberation of
:32:43. > :32:47.Mosul and elimination of Daesh, not only equipment but access to medical
:32:48. > :32:53.care, what they are doing with their wounded, expertise... I can give my
:32:54. > :32:58.honourable friend that assurance and I'm proud British forces have
:32:59. > :33:06.trained nearly 40,000 Iraqi and Kurdish troops. Much of that
:33:07. > :33:15.training has been devoted to reducing the casualties they are
:33:16. > :33:27.likely to face and the operations to liberate Mosul. We've obviously seen
:33:28. > :33:32.significant progress in Mosul and I'm sure the house joins us in
:33:33. > :33:37.sending praise and gratitude to those serving. I wonder what you can
:33:38. > :33:47.tell me we are learning from her success to apply them to the battle?
:33:48. > :33:52.I will do my best. The campaign in Mosul is particularly complicated.
:33:53. > :33:58.Mosul, the West in particular, is a dense urban area, twice the density
:33:59. > :34:03.of the East, and precision strikes are all the more difficult for
:34:04. > :34:08.coalition aircraft. But as the campaign goes on, the use of
:34:09. > :34:15.precision air power and the training the Iraqi forces have received make
:34:16. > :34:20.it more likely they will be successful, both in Iraq and in
:34:21. > :34:27.Syria. What can be done to ensure that liberated Sunni communities
:34:28. > :34:31.will be embraced by the political economy of Iraq? My honourable
:34:32. > :34:35.friend is absolutely right that we need to stabilise these areas as
:34:36. > :34:42.quickly as possible, not simply in giving them access to essential
:34:43. > :34:49.services but in encouraging process to ensure the SUNY areas -- the
:34:50. > :34:53.Sunni areas, that they feel they have a sufficient stake in the
:34:54. > :35:04.future development of Iraqi. That is a point I made to the Prime Minister
:35:05. > :35:09.of Iraqi. Has the UK Government received any requests from allies to
:35:10. > :35:15.deploy drone troops in and around the fight against Daesh and if this
:35:16. > :35:19.came in would the parliament have an opportunity to vote on it? I've been
:35:20. > :35:27.clear with this house that we are not committing combat troops to
:35:28. > :35:32.Syria. I referred to coalition commanders. We are not committing
:35:33. > :35:39.combat troops to the fight in Syria and if we did we would come back to
:35:40. > :35:47.Parliament. Would my right honourable friend confirm the
:35:48. > :35:52.importance we place on our collaboration with the Egyptian
:35:53. > :35:59.government and their fight against Daesh? I can confirm that. I met the
:36:00. > :36:07.chief of defence staff of rejects on his recent visit to this country and
:36:08. > :36:12.Egypt has a big part to play in ensuring the different factions and
:36:13. > :36:19.loyalties in Libya can be brought together for a political settlement
:36:20. > :36:24.in the country. On my recent visit to Cyprus I was very pleased to meet
:36:25. > :36:33.the crews who work night and day to keep up the fight. I'm concerned
:36:34. > :36:35.there is currently no specific medal to recognise the dedication and
:36:36. > :36:45.bravery of the service men and women available. They are protecting
:36:46. > :36:49.citizens from the threat posed by Daesh. Will the Secretary of State
:36:50. > :36:57.commits to recognising the service with a specific medal? I am glad the
:36:58. > :37:03.honourable lady had a successful visit and I'm sure the house will
:37:04. > :37:10.join her in recognising and thanking our brave service men and women who
:37:11. > :37:18.have committed tirelessly to this campaign. So far as the issue of the
:37:19. > :37:27.medal is concerned, we are keeping that under review and as soon as a
:37:28. > :37:37.decision is made on the appropriate recognition, an announcement will be
:37:38. > :37:47.made to the house. It is heartening to see the progress being made to
:37:48. > :37:55.liberate morsel, and yet we know this was only part of the campaign.
:37:56. > :37:59.As the focus will turn to Syria, can the Secretary of State tell us in
:38:00. > :38:09.greater detail what role he expects the RAF to play in the battle for
:38:10. > :38:12.Daesh strongholds? It is important to recognise that Daesh have lost a
:38:13. > :38:24.considerable amount of ground in Syria as well as Iraqi. They play a
:38:25. > :38:32.major part in carrying out precision strikes as recently as yesterday. We
:38:33. > :38:35.will continue to play that part, providing precision air strikes,
:38:36. > :38:41.gathering intelligence from the hour and are doing what we can to make
:38:42. > :38:54.sure that they are driven out of Syria. The strategy strengthens the
:38:55. > :39:01.historic role of the Navy. Royal Navy ships are deployed around the
:39:02. > :39:09.globe, supporting economic interests. I believe she was waving
:39:10. > :39:16.the flag for Britain and our exports with HMS Penzance in Abu Dhabi.
:39:17. > :39:23.Doesn't she agree it is not just protecting the seaways but also
:39:24. > :39:36.waving the flag and promoting exports. I was delighted to be
:39:37. > :39:40.welcomed on board HMS Penzance and thank the crew for the valuable
:39:41. > :39:51.contribution they are making. The Royal Navy will deploy ships. Only
:39:52. > :40:00.last week, HMS Ocean visited Beirut, acting as a showcase for Midlands
:40:01. > :40:08.industry. When the United Kingdom leaves the EU, can my right
:40:09. > :40:14.honourable friend assure me that we will have enough Royal Navy ships to
:40:15. > :40:21.ensure that our assurers and trade routes and commitments are met? He's
:40:22. > :40:30.right to highlight the importance of the Royal Navy. It prepares to
:40:31. > :40:37.welcome submarines, frigates, aircraft.
:40:38. > :40:45.Number nine, Mr Speaker. The MoD is conducting assessments at sites
:40:46. > :40:55.which is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to complete. Good
:40:56. > :40:59.progress is being made. In launching the review, the Minister said that
:41:00. > :41:10.it would release land to boost local economies. The disposal of land has
:41:11. > :41:17.to follow Treasury guidelines, but for example in his own constituency
:41:18. > :41:21.I am glad that Angus Council have expressed an interest in purchasing
:41:22. > :41:27.the land and delighted that progress is continuing on Thursday when our
:41:28. > :41:31.officials will meet council officials. I wonder what
:41:32. > :41:36.consideration has been given to the deuce of the Ballykeel site in
:41:37. > :41:41.Northern Ireland for social housing or housing for veterans in Northern
:41:42. > :41:45.Ireland? There have been discussions recently over the potential use of
:41:46. > :41:52.the accommodation at that site and those discussions will continue. The
:41:53. > :41:56.honourable member for Sleaford and North Hykeham is also a doctor and
:41:57. > :42:02.erroneously the fact that she a doctor was not listed on the paper,
:42:03. > :42:12.so I hope that won't happen again. Doctor Caroline Johnson.
:42:13. > :42:15.Questionable ten, Mr Speaker. In 2015 the government committed ?50
:42:16. > :42:22.million to increase the number of cadet units in the UK state school
:42:23. > :42:29.sector. This joint Ministry of Defence and Department for Education
:42:30. > :42:38.project targeted areas of social and economic deprivation. We are on
:42:39. > :42:41.target to hit 500 by 2020. The Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force to
:42:42. > :42:44.valuable work with young people, particularly the two Squadron
:42:45. > :42:48.detachment based on Sleaford. I am delighted that so many people in the
:42:49. > :42:52.county have a chance to become a cadet that this is not the case
:42:53. > :42:57.everywhere. Can he confirmed that he will prioritise approval of new
:42:58. > :43:04.units in areas where young people do not have the opportunity to become a
:43:05. > :43:13.cadet? I was an academic and Army before I joined the Armed Forces so
:43:14. > :43:18.I need to declare an interest. Can I say to my honourable friend that
:43:19. > :43:21.this on Georges and can be in her constituency has expressed an
:43:22. > :43:27.interest and we hope to give them an indication in the autumn if that has
:43:28. > :43:32.been approved. Question number 11. Add better defence estate is a
:43:33. > :43:35.military led review. The estate optimisation was developed in
:43:36. > :43:40.consultation with senior military officers to optimise the vent in the
:43:41. > :43:44.structure to better support military capability. The MoD will continue to
:43:45. > :43:47.engage with local authorities to maximise local economic development
:43:48. > :43:55.as well as value for money for defence. It would result in over 500
:43:56. > :43:58.civilian and contractor jobs lost in York, a local economy already
:43:59. > :44:05.struggling. Why isn't the Minister of following JSP 507 which
:44:06. > :44:09.determines that a social impact assessment has to take place first
:44:10. > :44:16.and work across government to make sure we can secure jobs in York. The
:44:17. > :44:21.site she talks about is due for disposal in 2031, in 14 years. We
:44:22. > :44:25.will be following all due process but the economic impact is as much a
:44:26. > :44:28.useful document for the local authority to see what gaps may come
:44:29. > :44:35.as a result of the estate being closed so we can work closely with
:44:36. > :44:39.local authority so we can move forward. Further Jim meeting last
:44:40. > :44:44.week with the Minister regarding housing at Ballykeel and army camp
:44:45. > :44:48.and further to the question from the honourable member for South Antrim,
:44:49. > :44:54.good the Minister detail the nature of those further discussions and
:44:55. > :45:03.what detail will be provided to ensure that those houses are
:45:04. > :45:08.released to meet unmet housing need? We did discuss this in detail last
:45:09. > :45:13.week so I think it is perhaps that ice will simply do as I said I would
:45:14. > :45:18.do in that meeting and write to June course. Question number 12. I have
:45:19. > :45:21.regular discussions with the Chancellor, burst Spending Review
:45:22. > :45:24.about spending plans for the remainder of this Parliament. The
:45:25. > :45:29.Chancellor confirmed last Wednesday that the government is committed to
:45:30. > :45:40.growing the defence budget and not .5% inflation each year until 2021.
:45:41. > :45:44.The defence budget will rise from ?35 billion this year. Almost ?40
:45:45. > :45:50.billion by the end of this Parliament. Why does the
:45:51. > :45:57.government's defence spending return to Nato include ?1 billion of
:45:58. > :46:00.civilian pensions? These don't contribute to our defence and were
:46:01. > :46:05.not included under a Labour government. Concern over these
:46:06. > :46:13.accounting tricks undermine confidence in our defence spending
:46:14. > :46:18.targets. The returned that we make to Nato captures all of the spending
:46:19. > :46:24.that false to the defence budget and it is for Nato to decide whether
:46:25. > :46:29.that return is properly completed. A committee of the size find the
:46:30. > :46:32.accounting criteria but falls firmly within existing Nato guidelines.
:46:33. > :46:47.Question number 16. As part of an ongoing programme on
:46:48. > :46:52.land that is surplus to defence requirements is sold in accordance
:46:53. > :46:55.set at the Treasury. This release of site supports the department's
:46:56. > :47:03.contributing to the public sector land release target to help the
:47:04. > :47:07.housing shortage and contribute to economic development. Some people
:47:08. > :47:13.will be concerned with the release of MoD land but I think for people
:47:14. > :47:18.who want a home or business premises, this can't come quickly
:47:19. > :47:23.enough. Indeed. I would point the hosted the recent sale of the whole
:47:24. > :47:26.Abington site and I'm delighted that was Bob Iser James Dyson. While it
:47:27. > :47:31.may not be going directly to housing it will become the Dyson global
:47:32. > :47:35.Randy Hub which will bring much-needed economic development to
:47:36. > :47:44.the area. Topical questions. Niall Carmichael. Our priorities remain
:47:45. > :47:48.operations against Daesh and implementing a Strategic Defence
:47:49. > :47:51.Review. Last Thursday her mad to see the Queen and build a monument to
:47:52. > :47:55.the surface sacrifice of our Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. For
:47:56. > :48:01.too long those troops faced false allegations made by Mr Phil Shiner
:48:02. > :48:07.and my department supplied evidence that finally saw him struck off last
:48:08. > :48:11.month. I am therefore pleased to confirm that the Iraq historic
:48:12. > :48:20.allegations team will close by the summer. With Sweden announcing they
:48:21. > :48:23.are planning and reintroducing conscription, does that signal and
:48:24. > :48:26.awareness from countries like Sweden that there is an increasing problem
:48:27. > :48:36.from Russia and elsewhere and should that be translated for supporting 2%
:48:37. > :48:44.of GDP in this supporting defence. Europe faces a wide range of
:48:45. > :48:47.threats. European nations meet the capabilities to respond and the
:48:48. > :48:50.funding to provide those capabilities. I'm reminded of a
:48:51. > :48:55.meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers last week, of the
:48:56. > :49:03.importance of all of us who are members of Nato of meeting that Nato
:49:04. > :49:07.spending target. Outsourcing of public services frequently results
:49:08. > :49:11.in lower levels of staffing, less continuity, less training and
:49:12. > :49:14.vetting. Given that the MoD guard service was set up in the wake of
:49:15. > :49:20.the 1989 bombing of the Royal Marines building in deal when 11
:49:21. > :49:23.Marines died and failures by private security firms were identified, will
:49:24. > :49:27.the government recognised the sensitivity of the work done but the
:49:28. > :49:33.MoD guards and abandon plans to privatise the service? Lefty make it
:49:34. > :49:37.clear that we are currently considering the options for the
:49:38. > :49:40.future provision of an effective unarmed guarding service throughout
:49:41. > :49:46.the United Kingdom which at the moment is being provided by a
:49:47. > :49:50.multiplicity of different services. The aim is to achieve maximum value
:49:51. > :49:56.for money to ensure that we can focus resources on military
:49:57. > :50:01.capability, but security remains a priority and no decisions will be
:50:02. > :50:06.made which would compromise the security of our personnel, our
:50:07. > :50:17.information or her physical assets. Can my right honourable friend is
:50:18. > :50:21.recall a time when... When a deployment of British forces to Nato
:50:22. > :50:26.has not been supported by the whole house? We have a long history of
:50:27. > :50:30.supporting our allies. I am disappointed that the Leader of the
:50:31. > :50:36.Opposition has described this week's defence of deployments to Estonia
:50:37. > :50:39.and Poland as escalator really. I hope that the Shadow Defence
:50:40. > :50:47.Secretary will take this opportunity to condemn those remarks today. The
:50:48. > :50:50.Duke of Lancaster Regiment headquarters and Hussein will be
:50:51. > :50:55.sold off well at 2nd Battalion woollies have of its complement of
:50:56. > :51:01.soldiers moved onto short, just one regular infantry battalion in the
:51:02. > :51:06.north-west by 2020. This regiment has no headquarters identified after
:51:07. > :51:11.2022. What message does this government think that it serves to
:51:12. > :51:18.serving service men and women in this part of the world? The best
:51:19. > :51:25.message we can send is to that unit that they are one of the best units
:51:26. > :51:29.in the British Army. We will support them all the way through and at the
:51:30. > :51:35.same time we must get the best estates for the best parts of the
:51:36. > :51:39.Army. 35 years on, our Armed Forces still play a vital role in
:51:40. > :51:43.safeguarding security of the Falkland Islands and other British
:51:44. > :51:47.Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic. Can my right honourable
:51:48. > :51:49.friend confirm that this government is committed to maintaining a strong
:51:50. > :51:57.Armed Forces presence in the Falklands less Chamakh 35 years on
:51:58. > :52:01.we not only continue but will enhance the protection of the
:52:02. > :52:04.Falkland Islands and they know many honourable colleagues have visited
:52:05. > :52:08.the boxers recently and see the excellent work that Armed Forces do
:52:09. > :52:11.far away from home. We will continue to support them with the typhoons,
:52:12. > :52:23.the rapier and the other battalions the rapier and the other battalions
:52:24. > :52:29.that are there. But this is in my community have supplied the military
:52:30. > :52:33.for six generations. The GK's Manufacturing industry is more than
:52:34. > :52:40.capable but new Trident submarines and offshore patrol vessels are
:52:41. > :52:45.being is built using foreign scale. When will a proper strategy be
:52:46. > :52:51.developed so we can start supporting UK steel and manufacturing rather
:52:52. > :52:56.than buying off-the-shelf from abroad? Of course we want to see UK
:52:57. > :53:00.steel used wherever possible. That is why last year we published the
:53:01. > :53:04.full pipeline of steel across the whole of government that we will be
:53:05. > :53:10.needing. Of course we work with our suppliers to encourage them that
:53:11. > :53:16.weather is available steel, to include British Steel producers in
:53:17. > :53:19.the pipeline. These questions on the 30th of January I asked how many
:53:20. > :53:22.people were currently working in defence procurement and what plans
:53:23. > :53:27.the government has to reduce it. She has written to me and said that
:53:28. > :53:33.11,500 people are working in procurement. Given that this equates
:53:34. > :53:38.to a people per ship in the Royal Navy, 14 people per aircraft and the
:53:39. > :53:41.royal air force and one procurement person per seven soldiers, will she
:53:42. > :53:50.know say what steps the government will take to reduce this extremely
:53:51. > :53:52.large number of people? I would like to emphasise to make honourable
:53:53. > :53:57.friend that a lot of those people will be uniformed, so what happens
:53:58. > :54:03.often is that they rotate through the teams that are involved in the
:54:04. > :54:06.procurement because no one better than our uniformed personnel to
:54:07. > :54:11.decide on the requirements that are needed, but he is absolutely right
:54:12. > :54:17.that they are not immune to the need across the whole of the to continue
:54:18. > :54:24.to find ways to spend more efficiently. Last week a report was
:54:25. > :54:29.published demonstrating that the Royal Navy is no longer designed to
:54:30. > :54:36.this have control of the north Atlantic. There is not a large
:54:37. > :54:42.vessel based in Scotland. Will the strategic balance be addressed? Is
:54:43. > :54:45.yet again the Scottish National Party want to run down the Royal
:54:46. > :54:54.Navy and the fantastic work they are doing. What is important is our our
:54:55. > :55:00.submarines there, our ships their question but yes, they are. The two
:55:01. > :55:06.largest warships ever protrudes either Royal Navy are currently
:55:07. > :55:12.being fitted out in Scotland. Scotland is much use today. Could he
:55:13. > :55:15.take this opportunity to remind the house of the great defence benefits
:55:16. > :55:24.to Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom? Yes. I visited both
:55:25. > :55:29.carriers last week, they will be huge assets to the Royal Navy and
:55:30. > :55:33.for this country. Let us be clear, Scotland is getting all of the road
:55:34. > :55:41.may be's submarines, it is getting a major army base and it is getting
:55:42. > :55:45.huge investment at Lossiemouth with an additional typhoons quadrant and
:55:46. > :55:49.the deployment of a new maritime patrol aircraft. Scotland plays a
:55:50. > :55:56.huge part in the defence of the United Kingdom. The latest figures
:55:57. > :56:03.from UK Armed Forces monthly show that while 6690 joined the reserve
:56:04. > :56:08.in the last 12 months, over 5,000 left. What more is being done to
:56:09. > :56:13.encourage the retention of the service is? We remain ahead of
:56:14. > :56:18.target when it comes to recruiting our reserves but the key to
:56:19. > :56:22.retention, I declare my hand as a serving reservists, is that we
:56:23. > :56:29.continue to offer exciting opportunities and training within
:56:30. > :56:35.the reserves. The Saudi-led Islamic military alliance to defeat Daesh
:56:36. > :56:41.has grown from 34 members to 40 members. The role of Islamic
:56:42. > :56:44.countries in defeating Daesh is key, can my right honourable friend tell
:56:45. > :56:51.me what update he has from the Saudis on the progress made by the
:56:52. > :56:57.Saudi coalition? The role that Saudi Arabia has taken in this in leading
:56:58. > :57:03.the effort to discredit the so-called ideology of Daesh. League
:57:04. > :57:07.2 are leading work here on strategic communications and we hosted
:57:08. > :57:11.recently the latest coalition conference that brings together all
:57:12. > :57:15.of our international efforts but I'm particularly pleased that this
:57:16. > :57:21.campaign is being strengthened by the commitment of Saudi Arabia to
:57:22. > :57:30.read this religion of its appalling extremism.
:57:31. > :57:39.Following the answer from my honourable friend, can the minister
:57:40. > :57:47.name which product British Steel is being used in to safeguard British
:57:48. > :57:52.steelworkers jobs? I can inform him that we are committed to building
:57:53. > :58:02.type 26 frigates and that forms part of the sideline. We know that our
:58:03. > :58:09.main supplier is running a competition in which I believe five
:58:10. > :58:21.UK firms are participating. Doctor Gillian Lewis. Did ministers see the
:58:22. > :58:25.evidence given last Tuesday by four eminent professors of law indicating
:58:26. > :58:29.there is no legal reason why a statute of limitations cannot be
:58:30. > :58:39.brought in to prevent the founding of service personnel for Belfast
:58:40. > :58:43.agreement related matters? Will ministers join with the committee by
:58:44. > :58:49.working with us and giving evidence to us that enables a statute to be
:58:50. > :58:59.brought forward? We've been following proceedings and my right
:59:00. > :59:03.honourable friend's committee, we want any investigations to be fair,
:59:04. > :59:11.balanced and proportionate given that 90% of the deaths were caused
:59:12. > :59:15.by terrorists and not members of the security forces and we do not want
:59:16. > :59:25.to see cases reopened unless there is new and credible evidence to
:59:26. > :59:30.reopen them. We continue to hear stories of personnel without heating
:59:31. > :59:37.or being unable to take a shower, as detailed in recent reports about the
:59:38. > :59:40.Wellington Barracks. If the government really thinks it is
:59:41. > :59:47.acceptable to leave brave service men and women in these conditions,
:59:48. > :59:53.can they say this? We don't, which is precisely why we invested ?60
:59:54. > :00:04.million last year and will invest ?80 million this year. No service
:00:05. > :00:10.home that does not meet the standards, service personnel are not
:00:11. > :00:13.allowed in it. Part of my constituency has a large amount of
:00:14. > :00:17.land which will be available for housing. Will the Minister meet with
:00:18. > :00:25.me to discuss ways this can be released for urgently needed
:00:26. > :00:30.housing? I would be delighted. Can the Defence Secretary tell us what
:00:31. > :00:33.discussions he had with the US government about the announcement
:00:34. > :00:42.over the weekend of the deployment of hundreds of US Marines to Syria,
:00:43. > :00:49.what their purpose is and what cooperation will take place? I did a
:00:50. > :00:53.review of the campaign in Syria with the Defence Secretary at our meeting
:00:54. > :01:03.in Brussels a couple of weeks ago. We are not deploying combat troops
:01:04. > :01:08.but the United States is committing more support forces and working as
:01:09. > :01:17.part of the international coalition to ensure they have all the
:01:18. > :01:23.assistance and advice they need. Could the Secretary of State confirm
:01:24. > :01:29.that the deep maintenance of the engines of all British F 35 fighters
:01:30. > :01:40.will be done in Turkey and what, if any of the concerns, will be done? I
:01:41. > :01:49.can follow up with the honourable gentleman but can say that North
:01:50. > :02:03.Wales has been selected as the global hub for all maintenance and
:02:04. > :02:07.repair of avionics. We've seen there is a kill list targeting UK
:02:08. > :02:13.citizens. What happens to the commitment to come to the house at
:02:14. > :02:18.the earliest opportunity and does the kill list extend beyond
:02:19. > :02:30.geographical areas where military action has been authorised by this
:02:31. > :02:36.house? Those involved in supporting Daesh are liable to be killed by
:02:37. > :02:44.coalition forces and those who pose a very direct threat to this country
:02:45. > :02:50.are also likely, if there is no way to forestall that threat, to be
:02:51. > :02:57.targeted. Even if the defence strategy was implemented in full
:02:58. > :03:05.there would still be an ?8.5 billion budget shortfall. The strategy is
:03:06. > :03:10.absolutely fit for purpose and has been based on delivering military
:03:11. > :03:22.capability. We have less estate to look after and we can reinvest over
:03:23. > :03:30.the next 20 years. I would like to inform the host that we are visited
:03:31. > :03:37.today by the Catholic Archbishop of Burma, a country with which we have
:03:38. > :03:42.a programme of Parliamentary building. It is a delight to have
:03:43. > :03:45.him during our proceedings. It is the second time he's come in recent
:03:46. > :03:50.months. He clearly cannot get enough of us and I'm sure colleagues will
:03:51. > :03:58.want to impress the great man with the decency of their behaviour.
:03:59. > :04:02.Point of order, Patrick Grady. I would like to seek your guidance
:04:03. > :04:05.regarding the Convention of members notifying each other when they visit
:04:06. > :04:09.constituencies. On Saturday morning on the way to my surgery I came out
:04:10. > :04:18.of Hillhead subway station and met some very wet Labour supporters and
:04:19. > :04:23.when I said, are you waiting for someone special, they said they were
:04:24. > :04:27.not. Then I read on social media that the right honourable member for
:04:28. > :04:33.Islington had visited that street and undertaken a walkabout. I
:04:34. > :04:34.received no notification of this. I understand they sent an e-mail to my