03/12/2015

:00:00. > :00:00.watch recorded coverage of all today's business at the Lord's after

:00:07. > :00:10.the daily politics later tonight. The success of this review will be

:00:11. > :00:15.determined by whether that gap can be narrowed, and in that context I

:00:16. > :00:21.welcome the outcome of last night's debate in the other place, and the

:00:22. > :00:26.decision to authorise the extension of military operations against IS to

:00:27. > :00:30.include its heartland in East Syria. A decision which I believe was

:00:31. > :00:38.morally, legally and strategically the right one to take. My Lords,

:00:39. > :00:45.it's easy to say that it's a great honour to be joining law your

:00:46. > :00:49.Lordships. But it's difficult to say how much

:00:50. > :00:54.it means to me. I would like to thank my supporters, my noble

:00:55. > :01:02.friends, Lady stole and Lady Bottomley. My mentors and noble

:01:03. > :01:05.friend Lady Brown -- Browning. I'm afraid I will continue to need her

:01:06. > :01:11.help, having already sat on the wrong benches, and stood when I

:01:12. > :01:14.should have been sitting, and no doubt sat when I should have been

:01:15. > :01:23.standing. I would like to congratulate and thank the staff of

:01:24. > :01:28.this house. I don't know how they recognise us all, but I take my hat

:01:29. > :01:35.off to them. In my time in another place as a backbencher, as a

:01:36. > :01:41.minister, as Chief Whip, as chairman of the Defence Select Committee, I

:01:42. > :01:44.came to appreciate with great admiration the depth of the wisdom

:01:45. > :01:59.and expertise that is available on a daily basis in this house. An

:02:00. > :02:07.obvious example of that is the noble Lord, Lord Jannay, who it's a

:02:08. > :02:11.privilege to follow. He told me a fortnight or so ago that he was an

:02:12. > :02:23.optimist when it came to nuclear. I am not. I've been described by The

:02:24. > :02:33.Times as making Eeyore look like a happy, copy type. And you are about

:02:34. > :02:36.to find out why. I'm thankful I only have four minutes, limiting the

:02:37. > :02:42.number of mistakes I can make, but time will tell. My lords, I declare

:02:43. > :02:51.my interest in that I advise Tallis UK, pure storage, the pure storage

:02:52. > :02:54.company, and I'm also an unpaid adviser of the electric

:02:55. > :02:59.infrastructure security council of the United States. I welcome the

:03:00. > :03:04.government amendment to spend 2% of GDP on defence. I suspect those of

:03:05. > :03:08.us today would like to see more, but at a time of austerity, this is a

:03:09. > :03:13.real achievement. There is one aspect of the review on which I will

:03:14. > :03:20.concentrate. Since the Industrial Revolution, the developed world has

:03:21. > :03:25.begun to rely on technology to an extent which has been increasing as

:03:26. > :03:30.the pace of change picks up. The developed world is now completely

:03:31. > :03:37.dependent on, for example, computers and electricity. This was the

:03:38. > :03:44.subject of an excellent speech about a month ago in this house by the

:03:45. > :03:50.noble Lord Harris of Haringey. Without computers, we could not

:03:51. > :03:53.function efficiently. If we lost our electricity, we could barely

:03:54. > :04:01.function at all. We would have no money, no communication, no chain of

:04:02. > :04:08.command, no water, and no fuel. It would, as they say, be a really bad

:04:09. > :04:13.day. Our reliance on electricity creates for us and existential

:04:14. > :04:20.risk. A potential single point of failure that leaves us vulnerable as

:04:21. > :04:23.never before. And so I particularly welcome the concentration given in

:04:24. > :04:30.this review to the extra money provided to GCHQ, and to the

:04:31. > :04:32.recognition by the Prime Minister of the need for exercises to protect

:04:33. > :04:44.our energy infrastructure. I welcome the fat than when these

:04:45. > :04:48.upon abilities were set out to the Chancellor of Exchequer and asked

:04:49. > :04:52.for resources to deal with them, the Chancellor told him he was being

:04:53. > :04:59.insufficiently ambitious and gave him more. I believe that reflects

:05:00. > :05:02.well on both of them. Because throughout the developed world,

:05:03. > :05:08.modern warfare will be fought not only on the beaches, in the fields

:05:09. > :05:13.and on the streets, it will be fought inside our infrastructure, in

:05:14. > :05:19.ways we will not be able to see, with no warning and with devastating

:05:20. > :05:27.consequences. I believe the government understands this, but

:05:28. > :05:34.there is much still to be done. I very much appreciate my noble friend

:05:35. > :05:42.for me a special pleasure to follow for me a special pleasure to follow

:05:43. > :05:48.my noble friend. I am sure that his experience will add lustre to this

:05:49. > :05:51.house. Over the last five years, James and I have had many

:05:52. > :05:55.discussions on defence and his knowledge on the subject gained over

:05:56. > :05:58.many years was put to excellent use when he served as chairman of the

:05:59. > :06:05.select committee for defence in the other place. Having two ancestors

:06:06. > :06:11.who both fought at the Battle of Trafalgar, rising to add more rank

:06:12. > :06:15.and another one a general commander at the Battle of Waterloo, his

:06:16. > :06:20.natural interest in the Armed Forces is not surprising. When I look to

:06:21. > :06:26.the speech I made in the defence debate, I felt it only right to

:06:27. > :06:30.congratulate the government on the outcome on fences. We are

:06:31. > :06:35.unquestionably in a better place than I and many others imagine six

:06:36. > :06:40.months ago. It has been received positively and I understand our

:06:41. > :06:44.American friends who regard us as their key partner of choice, are

:06:45. > :06:49.pleased with the outcome, in particular looting the enhanced

:06:50. > :06:54.Royal Navy capability. Great effort has gone into this review and I'm

:06:55. > :06:59.sure we would all wish to thank all those involved, in particular the

:07:00. > :07:05.many civil servants whose efforts often go totally unsung. Secondly, I

:07:06. > :07:09.completely endorse the government's link between prosperity and

:07:10. > :07:16.security. Indeed, I strongly suggest the Armed Forces having even greater

:07:17. > :07:20.role to play. All three services can reinforce the government is global

:07:21. > :07:24.prosperity ambition through their deploying footprint, utilising soft

:07:25. > :07:29.power to exercises, visits, partnerships signalling our regional

:07:30. > :07:33.commitments, our military strength and military technology. All this

:07:34. > :07:36.makes the work of our industrial defence sector and that of our

:07:37. > :07:41.diplomats a great deal more effective. We will unquestionably

:07:42. > :07:49.help enhance our international trade and create wealth with the -- within

:07:50. > :07:54.the UK. Having said that, I must add a strong note of practical

:07:55. > :07:57.quotient. The work to create and indeed restore the necessary

:07:58. > :08:03.capability has only just begun and it would take many highly motivated,

:08:04. > :08:09.capable people many years to make it happen. Leadership and commitment to

:08:10. > :08:16.the pace and quality of delivery is totally crucial. We must not waste a

:08:17. > :08:23.single day as recent history clearly demonstrates events may challenge us

:08:24. > :08:30.at any time as my friend has just mentioned, before we are ready to

:08:31. > :08:37.respond. The core point of the 2% is at the 20% of the 2% is being spent

:08:38. > :08:41.on new kit. It will undoubtedly be a major factor in forcing positive

:08:42. > :08:46.change, but much of the new equipment will not be delivered and

:08:47. > :08:53.operational until 2025 and beyond, 20 years after the 2010 as our

:08:54. > :08:59.future force planned structure and the world looks far more dangerous

:09:00. > :09:04.and in a sense we will see a window of bomb ability over the next

:09:05. > :09:11.decade. In the round, we may not achieve the full strength of our

:09:12. > :09:15.military capability in 2030. Three times the length of World War II and

:09:16. > :09:19.three parliaments from now. In my view, everything that can be done to

:09:20. > :09:25.pull forward this programme will not only give to much greater efficiency

:09:26. > :09:30.and cost game but will motivate innovation and the time gain could

:09:31. > :09:35.be of crucial importance to the UK's security. The next two or three

:09:36. > :09:40.years will be more than exacting for our armed services as the budget now

:09:41. > :09:45.includes the cost for rapidly enhancing our cyber intelligence

:09:46. > :09:47.capability. In times of crisis, I'm sure government would find another

:09:48. > :09:55.billion pounds to accelerate this very positive change programme. Do

:09:56. > :09:59.we need to wait for a crisis? It's excellent news that we now have

:10:00. > :10:04.clear political will to engage from strength and I would and to

:10:05. > :10:07.re-engage from strength, and I would hope our government would be

:10:08. > :10:14.prepared to consider going the extra mile, which in my view would be both

:10:15. > :10:18.splendid for morale and the United Nations. I would ask my noble friend

:10:19. > :10:24.the Minister to consider my request to go the extra mile and if I may

:10:25. > :10:34.say, I took very careful note of the very powerful speech by the noble

:10:35. > :10:38.and gallant peer Lord Stirrup and I would personally like to look

:10:39. > :10:47.forward to the time when allocation to defence will be at least 3%.

:10:48. > :10:50.While I welcome and congratulate all our speakers today, I want to

:10:51. > :10:57.particularly welcome and congratulate my noble friend Lord

:10:58. > :11:01.Haim. As has already been suggested, his campaigning history goes back a

:11:02. > :11:07.very long way and is still active today. I can recall first meeting

:11:08. > :11:12.him on campaign visit to Scotland in the 1980s, when as a young teacher I

:11:13. > :11:18.used to do the homework of his son who would come with him for the

:11:19. > :11:24.visit for the weekend. It's terrific to be sitting beside him here today

:11:25. > :11:31.and to welcome here. I welcome much of the content of the new national

:11:32. > :11:36.security strategy but I want to focus particularly on the stability

:11:37. > :11:42.of element of the topic for debate, and the new policy statement on UK

:11:43. > :11:49.aid tackling global aid challenges in the national interest. Much of

:11:50. > :11:52.this national security strategy is framed in the right terminology, it

:11:53. > :11:59.does recognise the critical links as has already been said between

:12:00. > :12:03.development, diplomacy and defence. But in too many instances within the

:12:04. > :12:09.strategy, the rhetoric does not always match the content. The

:12:10. > :12:14.section on the United Nations refers to UN peacekeeping but does not

:12:15. > :12:19.reference UN peace building or the work that is being done to build

:12:20. > :12:25.greater collaboration between the United Nations, the World Bank and

:12:26. > :12:28.other multicultural institutions to ensure greater success in

:12:29. > :12:32.post-conflict reconstruction. The section on the European Union is far

:12:33. > :12:36.too cautious, does not reference the potential of the external action

:12:37. > :12:42.service to make a real difference in the world, to the stability that we

:12:43. > :12:48.all seek. The section on migration, I have to say I was shocked to find

:12:49. > :12:52.only one paragraph, four sentences, the first talks about a

:12:53. > :12:57.comprehensive strategy, the other three makes three there is no such

:12:58. > :13:00.thing and as migration is a driver of so much conflict in the world

:13:01. > :13:06.today, surely that should have greater recognition in this

:13:07. > :13:11.strategy. I was also surprised given the key role of the United Kingdom

:13:12. > :13:15.in ensuring that goal 16 of the new sustainable development goals

:13:16. > :13:19.references peace and justice and the importance of those two development

:13:20. > :13:22.at the section on the sustainable development goals does not make

:13:23. > :13:32.specific mention of that particular challenge. However, I do welcome the

:13:33. > :13:35.fact that the new policy commits 50% of our aid resources to fragile

:13:36. > :13:44.states and regions. I believe this is long overdue and focusing of our

:13:45. > :13:49.overseas aid on places that need it most and I also welcome the new ?1

:13:50. > :13:58.billion fund for conflicts, security and stability. However, I think even

:13:59. > :14:02.now the descriptions of purpose for these new-founds, the priority is

:14:03. > :14:08.being established, the strategies being used are far from clear. I

:14:09. > :14:12.would specifically asked today that the government consider allocating

:14:13. > :14:15.specific time in the New Year to debate the strategies behind these

:14:16. > :14:24.two critical new commitments. We know that the development goals will

:14:25. > :14:28.not be met by the 31st of December this year in any conflict affected

:14:29. > :14:34.state in the world and not only will they not be met as a whole, but not

:14:35. > :14:39.one end BG will be met in anyone fragile state. There can be no peace

:14:40. > :14:43.without development but there can also be no development without peace

:14:44. > :14:47.and if we are aiming for international stability as well as

:14:48. > :14:53.British security, I think we need to give greater priority to that within

:14:54. > :14:59.the detail of our strategy in the coming years. In conclusion, can I

:15:00. > :15:04.say one other thing and that is that I welcome the strong commitment

:15:05. > :15:07.given by the government to defence spending and development spending,

:15:08. > :15:12.but to do that at the same time as we are cutting back on a diplomatic

:15:13. > :15:17.effort and so many important places and the detail of the diplomatic

:15:18. > :15:21.analysis and our research strength and committed knowledge over the

:15:22. > :15:26.years, I think that is a backward step and I think development and

:15:27. > :15:31.defence hand in important but development, defence and diplomacy

:15:32. > :15:35.have to go together if we are going to have the international security

:15:36. > :15:41.and stability that we seek. I am delighted to follow Lord McConnell

:15:42. > :15:48.and I agreed with much of what he said. I have to say I never dream to

:15:49. > :15:54.that when I stood in the election that I would rise today as a

:15:55. > :15:58.membership in this house. I want to thank everyone who has made my

:15:59. > :16:03.arrival here such an enjoyable experience. I am genuinely grateful

:16:04. > :16:13.for all the guidance and help I have received at all levels and from my

:16:14. > :16:16.sponsors. The doorkeepers, the attendance and catering staff are

:16:17. > :16:21.incessantly cheerful, helpful and friendly and not just to me but to

:16:22. > :16:23.my friends and family and my demanding children and

:16:24. > :16:30.grandchildren. I have the honour to represent a constituency for 32

:16:31. > :16:37.years. It is not a place, is the heartland of the Gordon family, his

:16:38. > :16:41.study headed by the Duke's of Gordon and the 18th-century duchess who

:16:42. > :17:00.recruited soldiers into the Gordon Highlanders with the kids. It also

:17:01. > :17:04.produced a Prime Minister. She ended herself to Timmy went after one

:17:05. > :17:09.election she said, Malcolm, I am so pleased you got back. I worried you

:17:10. > :17:14.might lose. I was so worried in fact, I very nearly voted for you. A

:17:15. > :17:19.colleague said to me that if you are going to be a long serving MP, you

:17:20. > :17:23.need to reinvent yourself and I certainly have carried out many

:17:24. > :17:27.different roles. Including leading my party in Scotland and working

:17:28. > :17:31.with others in the Constitutional Convention to lay the foundation for

:17:32. > :17:35.the restoration of the Scottish Parliament. I am more committed than

:17:36. > :17:40.ever to the case for a federal United Kingdom that can secure the

:17:41. > :17:43.wishes of the majority of the people of Scotland to be self-governing

:17:44. > :17:48.within the UK rather than leaving it. But I am particularly proud of

:17:49. > :17:52.the role of which I was entrusted by the House of Commons for ten years

:17:53. > :17:57.as chair of the International development committee. This gave me

:17:58. > :18:03.a privileged and unique insight into the work of the UK's aid and

:18:04. > :18:07.development activities by government and world-class development and

:18:08. > :18:12.humanitarian NGOs and charities and international and global players and

:18:13. > :18:16.it is on the basis of this experience that I choose to make my

:18:17. > :18:21.short intervention into this debate. I do understand the common's aim of

:18:22. > :18:27.demonstrating how our official development assistance serves the

:18:28. > :18:31.national interests that has to be done according to the committee

:18:32. > :18:36.guidelines. I am pleased the aid review continues to highlight the

:18:37. > :18:42.focus on poverty reduction as a key objective as it must be in the post

:18:43. > :18:49.objectives of eliminating absolute poverty by 2030 is to be realised. I

:18:50. > :18:54.also note this house's report and assert my own view that tackling the

:18:55. > :19:07.challenges of poverty, humanitarian disasters, migration requires the

:19:08. > :19:12.governments involvement. I would express caution that while we retain

:19:13. > :19:17.flexibility, we do not chop and change priorities to quickly and too

:19:18. > :19:21.often and in particular in our desire to adjust the current refugee

:19:22. > :19:30.crisis and I've visited refugees in Lebanon and Jordan,. I welcome the

:19:31. > :19:34.fact the government's National Security strategy and defence review

:19:35. > :19:37.maintain the commitment to tackling conflict and building stability

:19:38. > :19:42.overseas and I watch with interest how the increase in the fund will be

:19:43. > :19:49.prioritised and in what ways the government will deliver annually 50%

:19:50. > :19:52.of DFID's budget in fragile regions. I hope I will have further

:19:53. > :19:56.opportunities to address these matters and that my past

:19:57. > :20:04.experiences, I will be able to contribute truthfully.

:20:05. > :20:10.In a debate with four maiden speakers, it gives me great pleasure

:20:11. > :20:14.of having congratulated the noble Lord Bruce on his excellent maiden

:20:15. > :20:19.speech in such an important debate. We come from opposite corners of

:20:20. > :20:22.Scotland, but I'm reassured to note we have both experienced in

:20:23. > :20:26.campaigning for similar issues in the form of health and transport.

:20:27. > :20:36.His considerable experience, not only as deputy leader of his party,

:20:37. > :20:42.but also Shadow Secretary of State for multiple departments and

:20:43. > :20:47.Scotland. I'm sure we will look forward to the benefit of his

:20:48. > :20:51.experience in the coming months. His speech has given a very different

:20:52. > :20:53.view on defence and international security and stability from the

:20:54. > :20:58.perspective of the international development committee. The

:20:59. > :21:02.constituency of Gordon has benefited from his experience for 32 years,

:21:03. > :21:05.and I'm sure all sides of this house can look forward to his

:21:06. > :21:16.contributions based on his wide experience. I believe

:21:17. > :21:22.overlook the developing threat and contribute far too much on cost

:21:23. > :21:29.saving. The threat has evolved massively over the last 30 years,

:21:30. > :21:34.particularly in the fields of cyber attacks, electronic surveillance and

:21:35. > :21:42.terrorism internationally on a larger scale. I'm a firm believer in

:21:43. > :21:45.nuclear deterrence. Russia seems to be restarting what was carefully

:21:46. > :21:49.dismantled 30 years ago, and there are nuclear threats from other

:21:50. > :21:58.nations. I agree the concept is awful, but deterrence is effective.

:21:59. > :22:01.The whole scenario of warfare has changed and appears to have settled

:22:02. > :22:05.into a pattern of multinational approach, rather than solo campaigns

:22:06. > :22:08.such as those fought in the Falklands in the South Atlantic, and

:22:09. > :22:13.I welcome the strategy of working with partners. I'm pleased the

:22:14. > :22:17.government has confirmed expenditure will remain at the agreed 2% of GDP,

:22:18. > :22:23.and look forward to this being maintained in all future budgets.

:22:24. > :22:28.More than ever before is a guaranteed expenditure necessary.

:22:29. > :22:31.The list of new equipment promised is encouraging. Properly equipped

:22:32. > :22:35.aircraft carriers will be essential for us to fulfil the obligations we

:22:36. > :22:42.have on a worldwide theatre along with helicopters. It only takes one

:22:43. > :22:46.very good shot to lose that asset. I hope plans are in place to ensure

:22:47. > :22:51.there are adequate resources to ensure the security and protection

:22:52. > :22:58.for future deployments. This is a long review and I want to focus on

:22:59. > :23:03.two subjects. I'm saddened that would be increased that and greater

:23:04. > :23:06.demands on defence resources, and following reviews of cuts, there is

:23:07. > :23:15.only a small increase in the numbers of personnel, and if the Army is to

:23:16. > :23:21.maintain that 82,000 including reservists, I assume. I hope for an

:23:22. > :23:25.increase to cover cyber threats, but I hope there is enough to cover

:23:26. > :23:28.defence Force requirements, particularly with the expectation of

:23:29. > :23:32.Billy twice as many forces being used for peacekeeping and other

:23:33. > :23:35.international roles. I appreciate the use of remote analogy in modern

:23:36. > :23:44.equipment can replace personnel as well. Previous reviews have cut

:23:45. > :23:49.manpower to a point that when I've had various conversations with

:23:50. > :23:54.serving personnel, it's become a significant issue. Long operational

:23:55. > :23:58.deployments, short home-based time, before training and the next

:23:59. > :24:01.deployment has a wearing effect on morale and family life. This is

:24:02. > :24:06.particularly noticeable in the specialist sectors like Ed events

:24:07. > :24:15.and support arms where skilled operators in specific roles are very

:24:16. > :24:18.much in demand. I fear the human factor of the service men and women

:24:19. > :24:26.is not being given as high priority as it should. Secondly, I can see no

:24:27. > :24:28.provision for a greater reliance of resources for training. The

:24:29. > :24:34.shortfall of personnel means an operational demand is likely to

:24:35. > :24:38.absorb training time and resources and be cut as well. The provision of

:24:39. > :24:43.shiny new equipment appears to be just sufficient to fulfil the role

:24:44. > :24:47.expected. Can the Minister, in summing up, give me some assurance I

:24:48. > :24:53.have miss read the review, and as well as new equipment there will be

:24:54. > :24:56.adequate time and resource for human training and that manning levels of

:24:57. > :25:01.also visit will be regularly monitored and increased if

:25:02. > :25:03.necessary. Even before we reach the halfway point of this debate, a

:25:04. > :25:09.range of significant and important range of significant and important

:25:10. > :25:15.matters has been raised. Some merit much more substantial

:25:16. > :25:21.consideration. Among them, international partnerships and

:25:22. > :25:27.relationships, the deliverability of counterterrorism and cyber terrorism

:25:28. > :25:32.agendas. The huge importance of diplomatic presence and influence,

:25:33. > :25:39.and to them, I might add, the projected development of the

:25:40. > :25:44.delegated model. I look forward to further opportunities to discuss

:25:45. > :25:53.these and many issues before us today, as we considered the SDS R. I

:25:54. > :25:59.restrict myself this afternoon to three specific, and I hope six sink

:26:00. > :26:08.tip comments. -- hope synced comments. First, noting the small

:26:09. > :26:12.increase in numbers, 400 for the Navy and 300 for the air force, in

:26:13. > :26:18.the defence review. What steps, I asked the Minister, will the

:26:19. > :26:24.Minister of defence be taking to adjust the equally important matter

:26:25. > :26:28.of skills in balance is in the services? The instance, the

:26:29. > :26:38.challenge for the Navy in the recruitment of engineers. Existing

:26:39. > :26:45.commitments and equipment and new hardware for not just any soldiers,

:26:46. > :26:55.but properly skilled and trained at spearing 's men and women. --

:26:56. > :27:01.experienced men and women. If, as I expect, the military demand greater

:27:02. > :27:09.numbers, if they argued they needed, let's say, 2000 more, does the

:27:10. > :27:13.government now accept responsibility if one or other of the forces can't

:27:14. > :27:24.deliver what the government asks and expects of them? Second, in chapter

:27:25. > :27:31.four of the White Paper, paragraphs 60 and 61 amounted to just three

:27:32. > :27:38.sentences. Three tendencies announcing a 30% reduction in

:27:39. > :27:42.defence civil servants. -- three sentences. There is no detail there.

:27:43. > :27:53.The lack of it makes me quizzical, perhaps anxious, about whether there

:27:54. > :27:56.is clarity within the proposal. I ask, is there some percentage of

:27:57. > :28:01.this already anticipated, for instance in withdrawal from Germany

:28:02. > :28:09.or outsourcing or privatising plans already in place? What does this

:28:10. > :28:15.reduction mean? It might seem to imply, for instance, that further

:28:16. > :28:25.civilian eyes Asian of tasks is not possible. By contrast, and

:28:26. > :28:29.worryingly, the present task done by civil servants might be transferred

:28:30. > :28:36.to the armed services, further stretching their people resources.

:28:37. > :28:40.Thirdly and finally, in the Royal Navy and in Portsmouth, there is

:28:41. > :28:50.relief that the news that the one new carrier operational at any one

:28:51. > :28:54.time will have 24 aircraft. Can the Minister tell us what decisions have

:28:55. > :29:07.been made about the attribution of these aircraft? If not, when will

:29:08. > :29:13.these crucial decisions be made? For well over 50 is, I have been a

:29:14. > :29:17.silent attender at the deliberations of this house. Initially, on the

:29:18. > :29:23.steps of the throne, and later at the bar of the house. I have always

:29:24. > :29:26.been immensely impressed by the importance that this house plays in

:29:27. > :29:32.the working of the British constitution. Therefore, for me,

:29:33. > :29:35.it's a huge river jammed pleasure to have the opportunity of addressing

:29:36. > :29:43.your Lordships directly from these benches. Inevitably one is conscious

:29:44. > :29:46.of those who have been before. If you forgive me a personal

:29:47. > :29:52.observation, when I look at the Privy Council bench occupied by

:29:53. > :29:56.three of my noble friends, who I have known for a long time, I'm

:29:57. > :30:00.conscious of my father and father-in-law who used to sit there

:30:01. > :30:02.together, mostly in harmony, and very often conflict, about the

:30:03. > :30:09.shortcomings of the government spokesman. May I also say that I'm

:30:10. > :30:14.very touched to see the noble Baroness, my wife, on the

:30:15. > :30:22.crossbenchers. This is not an Oscar ceremony, and I issued the emotional

:30:23. > :30:28.stuff, but it was very brave of her to marry a respected politician.

:30:29. > :30:32.Very resilient of her, to attend his maiden speech. She's heard a lot of

:30:33. > :30:38.the other ones! And frankly, I wouldn't have survived the political

:30:39. > :30:44.course without her. May I also say that I'm extremely grateful for the

:30:45. > :30:50.noble Lords who did me the honour of introducing me to this place. We go

:30:51. > :30:53.back an awful long way, back to 1979, to the government

:30:54. > :30:58.backbenches, to the government whips office. And to the Foreign Office.

:30:59. > :31:05.Where we had the privilege of serving under the noble Lord, who to

:31:06. > :31:09.my mind was one of the most distinguished Foreign Secretary is

:31:10. > :31:13.this country has had since the war. May I also say that I'm deeply

:31:14. > :31:16.touched by the kind reception I have received from so many of your

:31:17. > :31:23.Lordships, and from the staff of this house. In return, may I say

:31:24. > :31:27.that I'm very conscious of the qualities you expect of a member of

:31:28. > :31:34.this place, and they are very different from the qualities you

:31:35. > :31:37.expect from a member from that place down the corridor. In particular, a

:31:38. > :31:42.more collegiate and less partisan approach. Also, a certain self

:31:43. > :31:50.restraint in the frequency and length of 1's interventions. It is

:31:51. > :31:55.in that spirit... LAUGHTER It is in that spirit that I respond

:31:56. > :32:04.to the motion so well moved by my noble mentor, the Lord Attlee, first

:32:05. > :32:13.the defence review is to be welcomed. Especially as regards

:32:14. > :32:16.equipment, and the recognition for nimbleness and flexibility. The

:32:17. > :32:21.Chancellor is to be congratulated on making the resources available. But

:32:22. > :32:27.our forces are lean. In a crisis we may not have the opportunity to

:32:28. > :32:33.repair the deficiencies. I hope that the government will be very

:32:34. > :32:36.sensitive to the need to accelerate some of the programmes. In that

:32:37. > :32:44.context, may I make the point about Paris... Our security forces are

:32:45. > :32:48.well used to dealing with prolonged sieges and with terrorists who are

:32:49. > :32:55.anxious to escape with their lives. But we face something different

:32:56. > :33:02.now. Namely, suicidal killers intent upon widespread and immediate

:33:03. > :33:04.murder. In respect of them, I hope our services are properly armed,

:33:05. > :33:11.properly equipped, and properly trained. The second point I want to

:33:12. > :33:16.make relates to keeping your word. One needs to be very cautious about

:33:17. > :33:23.giving assurances and very cautious about uttering threats. But once

:33:24. > :33:27.done, they must be honoured. Otherwise policy-making loses all

:33:28. > :33:33.credibility. The third point I want to make relates to Russia. Putin's

:33:34. > :33:39.Russia is never going to be a comfortable neighbour. But we now

:33:40. > :33:46.have real issues in common. I hope that we can come to some common

:33:47. > :33:51.cause. True, it will be at a price, the annexation of Crimea will not be

:33:52. > :33:55.reversed. The displacement of President Assad will not be the

:33:56. > :34:04.first priority. That I do think that we can come to an agreement.

:34:05. > :34:11.Lastly, on Isil, I speak as one of those who voted against the second

:34:12. > :34:16.Gulf War. I assisted with the drafting of that motion, but I think

:34:17. > :34:21.the House of Lords made the Holyrood decision yesterday. I don't believe

:34:22. > :34:25.bombing specific targets in Syria is going to defeat that organisation,

:34:26. > :34:31.but not to play our part will diminish our standing among those

:34:32. > :34:36.already engaged. I also think it would display a shaming degree of

:34:37. > :34:44.disengagement. The moral and ethical basis for such action exists. The

:34:45. > :34:53.recent Security Council revolution gives explicit legal authority.

:34:54. > :34:57.Incidentally, that was following long existing principles of

:34:58. > :35:02.deterrence and self defence. Precisely those principles justified

:35:03. > :35:10.the use of lethal force against individuals such as Jihadi John who

:35:11. > :35:16.have committed heinous crimes. For they have made themselves outlaws in

:35:17. > :35:21.the true sense of the word. In that by putting themselves outside the

:35:22. > :35:27.reach of the law, they have also put themselves outside the protection of

:35:28. > :35:31.the law. My Lords, those are the four points that I ventured to place

:35:32. > :35:37.before your lordship's house for your consideration.

:35:38. > :35:47.That's quite a speech and I am glad there were not eight points. It's a

:35:48. > :35:55.very great joy to follow my noble friend and Lincolnshire neighbour,

:35:56. > :35:59.the Right Honourable Hailsham. He is a considerable figure and he has

:36:00. > :36:05.made a considerable speech. I kept thinking of that description

:36:06. > :36:11.Churchill gave, that is not a maiden speech, that is a brazen Hussey of

:36:12. > :36:16.the speech. A very robust speech, robust elite delivered and I look

:36:17. > :36:21.forward to many more. I have known my noble friend for many years. I

:36:22. > :36:28.knew him when he was the most dogmatic of government whips,

:36:29. > :36:34.lecturing the 1922 committee on how we should behave. I saw him as a

:36:35. > :36:40.very splendid Minister of agriculture when he came to stay at

:36:41. > :36:44.our home and spoke in my constituency accompanied by his bag

:36:45. > :36:53.carrier, one of George Osborne. I also knew him when he became the

:36:54. > :37:00.gamekeeper turned poacher because in 1997, when we were somewhat reduced

:37:01. > :37:07.in numbers in our party in the other house, he became the Harrier of the

:37:08. > :37:12.government. Never giving them quarter, keeping at them day and

:37:13. > :37:16.night, in fact, at night so much that they brought in programme

:37:17. > :37:22.motion so he could not carry on doing it. He is invisible addition

:37:23. > :37:26.to your lordship's house. I am delighted he is here and it is a

:37:27. > :37:33.privilege to congratulate him on a notable speech. I am very conscious

:37:34. > :37:40.of the fact that this defence review is a significant improvement on the

:37:41. > :37:44.one we had in 2010 and the number of you have made that point during the

:37:45. > :37:50.course of the debate. I echo the words of my noble friend Lord

:37:51. > :37:54.Sterling of plaster when he urged the government to try and exonerate

:37:55. > :38:00.the timetable is little because we really do need them to do that.

:38:01. > :38:08.Yesterday's debate and the decision, and, my lords, what a

:38:09. > :38:14.brilliant speech, yesterday's debate brought into sharp focus the need

:38:15. > :38:22.for our defences to be kept up. What we must do is to identify and is --

:38:23. > :38:28.distinguish between enemies and irritants and I was very glad that

:38:29. > :38:33.my noble friend, in his speech, talked about Russia, because of

:38:34. > :38:38.course many of us have been irritated, but we do have a common

:38:39. > :38:45.cause and we must remember that it is not possible easily to fight wars

:38:46. > :38:51.on two fronts and what we have got to do is to give real priority to

:38:52. > :38:58.identifying and eliminating the worst enemy we have had for many

:38:59. > :39:04.generations, and to make common cause with the great power of Russia

:39:05. > :39:10.and it is a great power. We need to have a broad alliance with those

:39:11. > :39:18.with whom we have much in common and I would urge through my noble

:39:19. > :39:24.friend, who will respond to the debate, I would urge the government

:39:25. > :39:27.to have real recognition of that fact and in consequence, to have

:39:28. > :39:34.determination of priorities which will indeed serve the nation well.

:39:35. > :39:40.The review is a good blueprint, it maps out a strategic direction which

:39:41. > :39:45.needs to be followed, but as Lord Sterling said, rather more quickly

:39:46. > :39:50.than the review itself indicates. My lords, I wish the government well in

:39:51. > :39:54.what they are doing. I congratulate my noble friend on a splendid debut

:39:55. > :40:01.and look forward to the rest of the debate. I would like to add my own

:40:02. > :40:07.congratulations to the four maiden speeches this evening we have heard.

:40:08. > :40:12.All four of the maiden speakers are not only well-known to me, they have

:40:13. > :40:16.been colleagues and friends of mine for decades and I would commend them

:40:17. > :40:21.to the house as ideal candidates for coming to this place because they

:40:22. > :40:24.are men of great integrity. They are all people of very considerable

:40:25. > :40:29.experience and knowledge of the world and have always been committed

:40:30. > :40:33.and will remain committed here and we will have valuable contributions

:40:34. > :40:39.from them for a very long time. I don't want to say much about the

:40:40. > :40:47.review. I agreed with the brilliant analysis delivered by my noble

:40:48. > :40:50.friend Lord West and the Lord Lord Stirrup on that subject. I just want

:40:51. > :40:59.to add one thought which I might repeat from time to time. That is

:41:00. > :41:04.that although I am delighted of the purchase of the P eights, the

:41:05. > :41:08.government would have saved money and avoided risk if they kept the

:41:09. > :41:15.Nimrods and it was a great mistake to cut those aircraft up when they

:41:16. > :41:19.came to power in 2010. I think I have a good announcement to the

:41:20. > :41:23.house and I think we have solved the long-standing problem of the black

:41:24. > :41:29.hole, the alleged deficit in the MoD's programme which it said the

:41:30. > :41:37.Labour government left to its successor. I have can ducted

:41:38. > :41:41.correspondent -- correspondence and it tells us that what the government

:41:42. > :41:46.did was to go through our programme which was based on the resources

:41:47. > :41:55.they increased and the what would happen if the resources were only

:41:56. > :42:01.increased in no real terms at all. Of course, they come up with a

:42:02. > :42:06.deficit and that deficit with even greater than the 19 billion in the

:42:07. > :42:11.equipment programme which was in the letter to me. I wanted to put all

:42:12. > :42:15.our correspondent in the library of the house. When I try to do so, I

:42:16. > :42:22.discovered that backbenchers could not. I would invite the goal to put

:42:23. > :42:27.our correspondence in the house but I hope we won't need to speak about

:42:28. > :42:33.it any more because this particular myth will be put to rest. My Lords,

:42:34. > :42:39.I want to just say a little bit about Russia which the last two

:42:40. > :42:44.speakers have done. I think Mr Putin must be congratulating himself at

:42:45. > :42:50.having carried out a brilliant coup. He has succeeded in getting and

:42:51. > :42:55.changing frontiers by force and he has succeeded in getting away with

:42:56. > :43:00.ensuring that Ukraine can never join either Nato or the EU, partially

:43:01. > :43:04.because we have always said since the Cyprus problem that we would not

:43:05. > :43:09.have another state in that organisation which was split and

:43:10. > :43:14.partially because it is difficult to extend an Article five guaranteed to

:43:15. > :43:18.a country that is occupied. He has guaranteed the future of the Ukraine

:43:19. > :43:23.is very difficult, unstable and therefore the great poverty of the

:43:24. > :43:29.country will continue indefinitely and I'm sure Putin things that that

:43:30. > :43:36.in itself would lead to the poor Ukraine population giving up and

:43:37. > :43:42.voting a pro-Russian government, and the other that the West will give up

:43:43. > :43:46.and the West will do a shameful thing. The West will tear up its

:43:47. > :43:54.commitments to the Ukraine both in Nato and the EU, will do some deal

:43:55. > :44:06.involving other parts of the deal -- wild. -- wild. The result of that

:44:07. > :44:14.would be a devastating blow to the B of Nato and the EU and particularly

:44:15. > :44:18.of Eastern European countries. It is something we will regret for decades

:44:19. > :44:24.and perhaps centuries and my final thought is we need to think quite

:44:25. > :44:34.carefully of how we can avoid that scenario. The way we can avoid that

:44:35. > :44:48.is how we can focus and discuss with our allies. I join others in

:44:49. > :44:56.thanking the Lord for initiating this debate and in warmly applauding

:44:57. > :45:11.the four meeting deliberately maiden speeches. My Lords, the review was

:45:12. > :45:15.accompanied by the National Security strategy and although that is not

:45:16. > :45:19.name checked in the title of this debate, its security in the broadest

:45:20. > :45:23.sense rather than defence that I want to focus on. One priority in

:45:24. > :45:28.the National Security strategy according to the government is to

:45:29. > :45:31.help strengthen the rules -based international order and its

:45:32. > :45:37.institutions and to that end, the UK would work to promote stability,

:45:38. > :45:41.good governance and human rights. And then there is a high-level

:45:42. > :45:47.objective in the document which is to project our global influence,

:45:48. > :45:51.which covers means such as expanding our world leading soft power,

:45:52. > :45:56.investing more in alliances and building stronger partnerships. I

:45:57. > :45:59.fully support both the overall priority and these enumerate it

:46:00. > :46:04.objectives. What I struggle with is matching the government's words with

:46:05. > :46:08.its actions. How does the pledge to abolish the Human Rights Act

:46:09. > :46:17.threatening our deterrence to the European convention on human rights

:46:18. > :46:21.comply with the aspirations of strengthening the rules -based

:46:22. > :46:27.international order, upholding our values and promoting human rights?

:46:28. > :46:33.If we cannot do it on a European front, how can we do it

:46:34. > :46:37.internationally? Under the rubric of protecting our people, the national

:46:38. > :46:43.security strategy pledged to work with allies through responding to

:46:44. > :46:47.threats and challenges yet as the noble Lord McConnell said, there is

:46:48. > :46:51.no mention of European cooperation in the response to the migration

:46:52. > :46:56.challenge and while there is a commitment to strengthen our

:46:57. > :47:00.capabilities to disrupt serious and organised crime, and the Prime

:47:01. > :47:07.Minister's own forward vows to cancer Thai counter threats that

:47:08. > :47:16.recognise no borders, this is contradicted by this government 's

:47:17. > :47:21.refusal to... The Prime Minister said in his recent speech that the

:47:22. > :47:27.EU matters for national security, so is he not endangering our security

:47:28. > :47:32.by repeating his periodic claim not least in the Daily Telegraph today,

:47:33. > :47:38.that they might recommend a Bracks said, the EU as such is hardly

:47:39. > :47:44.mentioned in the national security review document. Another example of

:47:45. > :47:54.contradiction is the reported permission from the ministerial code

:47:55. > :47:59.to uphold international law. That cuts across a pledge to a rules

:48:00. > :48:03.-based international order. Indeed, the constant sniping that we hear

:48:04. > :48:10.against judges and courts have -- of all kinds strikes a contradiction

:48:11. > :48:14.the note if the government is attached to cool. Too many in the UK

:48:15. > :48:18.even in the government seem not to be at ease with our international

:48:19. > :48:26.European role. They want to pull up the drawbridge and retreat. We

:48:27. > :48:30.should capitalise on our strengths in democracy, human rights and law.

:48:31. > :48:38.On our position at the intersection of so many networks, the EU, the

:48:39. > :48:43.Commonwealth, United Nations, the transatlantic relationship and Nato

:48:44. > :48:48.to contribute with confidence to Europe and the world. We should take

:48:49. > :48:53.our cue as a country from the contribution that all those British

:48:54. > :48:57.individuals that we furnished to European and international

:48:58. > :49:04.institutions do, most recently the noble lady Baroness Scotland, the

:49:05. > :49:18.new Secretary General of the Commonwealth. We should follow their

:49:19. > :49:21.example as a country. There is a four-minute limit because otherwise

:49:22. > :49:27.we will be cutting into the Minister's reply. The review starts

:49:28. > :49:35.with a vision that has secured a prosperous UK. 2% Nato of GDP

:49:36. > :49:41.spending on defence has been agreed by the government. Thank you very

:49:42. > :49:47.much. An increase in defence budget in Filton every year. Commitment to

:49:48. > :49:54.increasing, not to decrease the army and to increase the RAF and Navy by

:49:55. > :50:00.700 people. Thank you. Spending 178 billion on equipment, support, this

:50:01. > :50:08.is all excellent news. The nuclear deterrent being maintained.

:50:09. > :50:10.Increasing resources for counterterrorism, police and

:50:11. > :50:15.security intelligence agencies to pursue terrorists. Doubling spending

:50:16. > :50:26.on aviation security. This is marvellous. The Prime Minister spoke

:50:27. > :50:31.of three joint defence exercises between the UK and India already in

:50:32. > :50:37.one year. This is marvellous. We should continue this. Dedicating one

:50:38. > :50:45.of the budget to science and technology, establishing a defence

:50:46. > :50:51.exaggerate, turning ideas into innovative equipment. This is

:50:52. > :50:54.brilliant. Use it to my ears. I thank Lord Attlee for initiating

:50:55. > :50:59.this debate and I congratulate all the maiden speakers. The Economist

:51:00. > :51:04.has gone so far to save the review allows Britain to reassert itself as

:51:05. > :51:09.a serious military power and will allow Britain to regain some of its

:51:10. > :51:12.respect it lost in Washington. Given the debate yesterday, there is every

:51:13. > :51:18.possibility we will have to put boots on the ground in order to

:51:19. > :51:24.fight the spread of anarchy in Syria and Iraq. The expertise in this

:51:25. > :51:28.house was demonstrated yesterday and is 100 times that of the other

:51:29. > :51:34.place. Yet, we did not get to vote yesterday at all. It shows how

:51:35. > :51:38.important it is that we look ahead and we recognise the effects of the

:51:39. > :51:42.so-called black swans, the Prime Minister said we must expect the

:51:43. > :51:46.unexpected. Earlier this year I was privileged to lead the debate in

:51:47. > :52:10.this house on the anniversary of the Gurkhas contribution. Lord Holt

:52:11. > :52:12.spoke about soft power, said a competition of Howard Powell and

:52:13. > :52:24.soft power gives you smart power. The review of 2010 was not smart, it

:52:25. > :52:28.was done. It was negligent. With the noble Lord agree there has been a

:52:29. > :52:35.30% reduction in military capabilities since 2010? I have been

:52:36. > :52:38.very outspoken of my criticism of 2010 and courts to troops. 80,000

:52:39. > :52:52.cannot fill Wembley Stadium. I was privileged to show the chief

:52:53. > :52:58.of the Indian army from the fifth Gurkhas around Parliament, and that

:52:59. > :53:04.the noble Minister confirm and reassure us that there will be no

:53:05. > :53:08.further cuts to the Gurkhas? Former chief of the Indian army said that

:53:09. > :53:17.if a man says he's not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he's

:53:18. > :53:23.Agarkar. -- he's a Gurkha. We have seen the evil of Isis, Isil, Daesh,

:53:24. > :53:28.whatever these monsters call themselves, we decided to engage in

:53:29. > :53:31.Syria yesterday, where as last year we decided only to intervene in Iraq

:53:32. > :53:36.will stop with the noble Minister agree that it was a mistake and we

:53:37. > :53:40.should have been in Iraq and Syria a year ago? I conclude that without

:53:41. > :53:44.doubt the defence of the realm is the most important role of

:53:45. > :53:48.government. We are a tiny nation with 1% of the world's population,

:53:49. > :53:51.but thanks to hard power and soft power giving us one of the most

:53:52. > :53:56.powerful defence forces in the world, so powerful that the world

:53:57. > :54:01.knows this power emanates from a country that is respected for and

:54:02. > :54:07.fought for freedom, fairness, justice and liberty for centuries. I

:54:08. > :54:10.fear I may be flying under false colours in this debate, because it

:54:11. > :54:16.makes direct reference to international security and stability

:54:17. > :54:21.and my concerns over any direct reference to our domestic internal

:54:22. > :54:25.security and stability, which I think is a shameful lack of close

:54:26. > :54:31.address in this report. We are going to be able to take -- we are not

:54:32. > :54:36.going to be able to take any role in our international community sector

:54:37. > :54:40.if we have not made our own internal security reliable. Where are the

:54:41. > :54:43.issues to deal with that in a changing world? We have the horrible

:54:44. > :54:47.example of what went on in France, and we should stop and think about

:54:48. > :54:55.what that means. It's a new form of warfare for which we have no

:54:56. > :55:00.ready-made defence. It's also hugely geared towards being television

:55:01. > :55:08.sensational. Therefore we should be putting everything in place he can

:55:09. > :55:11.of limiting anybody's possibility of limiting the media of putting on

:55:12. > :55:16.this sort of television spectacular like they did in France. We should

:55:17. > :55:20.seriously consider banning all television coverage of any terrorist

:55:21. > :55:24.incident which occurs, because the lifeblood of which they feed. The

:55:25. > :55:29.most I would go along with is having some embedded tele- journalist go

:55:30. > :55:33.with our own internal teams, but we really need to have some internal

:55:34. > :55:38.rapid response units which have got to be created very specially with a

:55:39. > :55:43.capability, particularly, of addressing the other great

:55:44. > :55:48.deficiency this report counts on, where are the defences of our

:55:49. > :55:54.greatest border of all, the sea? There is nothing. I live on the

:55:55. > :56:01.south coast and we have 140 miles of coastline with two tiny coastguard

:56:02. > :56:06.vessels which would not look out of place on around pond in Kensington

:56:07. > :56:10.Gardens. Nothing else at all. How is anybody going to have a rapid

:56:11. > :56:14.response to any seaborne attack coming in, the easiest and most

:56:15. > :56:19.vulnerable target for us. I think this report should be addressing the

:56:20. > :56:23.possibility of creating two very intensive rapid response units. I

:56:24. > :56:29.suggest one at Northolt and one at Catterick. They should be equipped

:56:30. > :56:34.with a minimum of seven or eight helicopters each to give them reach

:56:35. > :56:41.anywhere in the country and have a dedicated combination accessing the

:56:42. > :56:46.police, most emphatically, the fire brigade if necessary, the SAS

:56:47. > :56:51.emphatically should have a permanent, always on guard, on duty

:56:52. > :56:56.presents in each of those camps, and should be at liberty to go where

:56:57. > :57:01.ever. In the French episodes, the first news we got came in at 22

:57:02. > :57:07.minutes past nine on the Friday evening. By the next morning, this

:57:08. > :57:11.was television permanently on the subject. We have got to make sure

:57:12. > :57:15.that in our case, anything that occurs here will be completely wiped

:57:16. > :57:20.out as an attack before television cameras, on by the morning.

:57:21. > :57:25.Otherwise, once it goes that far, there is no holding it. This report

:57:26. > :57:29.gives no address whatever to an adequate rapid response unit and it

:57:30. > :57:33.is shameful. I hope very much that the noble Lord, his minister and

:57:34. > :57:37.team, we'll look back to see what they can do. It will not be very

:57:38. > :57:41.cost intensive, because if we are not making war abroad, our own

:57:42. > :57:46.resources and be reshaped and reallocated to make these response

:57:47. > :57:53.units. For God's sake, give some viable craft to patrol our

:57:54. > :57:57.shorelines, please. I think about half a minute, and I want to address

:57:58. > :58:04.it to the noble Lord Hain, but he has just gone out. Lord Hain was the

:58:05. > :58:09.other man in the first great romance of my life, but he probably never

:58:10. > :58:13.met the lady concerned, but he thought he was a combination of

:58:14. > :58:17.Jesus Christ and Trotsky. She got herself arrested every Sunday

:58:18. > :58:20.afternoon. I appeared in court on Monday morning to pay her finds for

:58:21. > :58:25.years in a row. I was dearly bankrupt. I was very glad to see the

:58:26. > :58:34.noble Lord here. He owes me an apology and quite a lot of money.

:58:35. > :58:40.LAUGHTER All four of the speakers of the

:58:41. > :58:44.House of Commons will make great contribution. I considered inviting

:58:45. > :58:51.Lord Hain to invite a tree in my constituency years ago, but we were

:58:52. > :58:54.worried that once he first got the turf, he would know where to stop

:58:55. > :59:08.and could lay waste to the whole of Shepherd's Bush Green.

:59:09. > :59:18.I can tell him that the Army have said to me to spread this, that they

:59:19. > :59:23.appreciate the opportunity to convey to people the importance of

:59:24. > :59:27.recognising the whole force concept, not just nurses and doctors, but

:59:28. > :59:33.also the people they recruit from the NHS to take out to danger zones

:59:34. > :59:37.in order to provide assistance. It's important, however briefly, in a

:59:38. > :59:41.debate of this nature where time is limited, to put on record that we

:59:42. > :59:45.sometimes don't recognise enough the memorials, the need for memorials to

:59:46. > :59:50.people in and around the armed services, not just service

:59:51. > :59:54.personnel, but those they recruit and employee in other areas. I very

:59:55. > :00:01.much hope this memorial garden which is proposed will meet and unmet need

:00:02. > :00:05.in the country. I know we all appreciate it. The minister might be

:00:06. > :00:09.slightly worried because charities keep ringing me up asking me how

:00:10. > :00:19.much money is left in the Libor fund. One lady said, if it runs out,

:00:20. > :00:22.we could slap another fine on them. The only other point I want to make

:00:23. > :00:30.in this inevitably short debate, is one about the naval base at Bahrain.

:00:31. > :00:34.I led a delegation to Bahrain last year. I know there is criticism of

:00:35. > :00:38.the government there at times, often justified, but that very small

:00:39. > :00:44.country is struggling to develop the rule of law and a democratic

:00:45. > :00:48.structure. We sometimes underestimate how difficult that is

:00:49. > :00:52.for countries. It's particularly difficult when just a short way down

:00:53. > :00:57.the causeway you have Saudi Arabia, and directly across the gulf you

:00:58. > :01:04.have Iran. It's an unenviable position for a tiny nation to be in.

:01:05. > :01:10.The naval base, and the US one does lend stability to that country. It's

:01:11. > :01:13.very important. I think it's in paragraph 557 where the minister

:01:14. > :01:18.commits the government to building a new naval base and I very much want

:01:19. > :01:22.to see that happen. I think this statement puts rights of the things

:01:23. > :01:28.we got wrong in the last statement, which I do think was a poor one.

:01:29. > :01:36.Sometimes I do feel the wording is better than the LT might turn out.

:01:37. > :01:40.The final point is one which Lord McConnell was making about the

:01:41. > :01:43.crucial importance in this day and age of linking up foreign policy

:01:44. > :01:51.with defence policy with development policy. Using one example, Libya. I

:01:52. > :01:58.supported the Libyan uprising. I was still worried, as with all these

:01:59. > :02:04.interventions, as to whether we would get the post-conflict

:02:05. > :02:07.situation right. Generally speaking I'm in favour of interventions.

:02:08. > :02:13.Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state under George Bush, said the

:02:14. > :02:18.big mistake that the West made in the post-war years was to give too

:02:19. > :02:25.much sympathy to dictators. When these brutal dictators fall, Saddam

:02:26. > :02:30.Hussein, Getafe, Assad in Syria, the consequences are enormous. --

:02:31. > :02:33.Colonel Gaddafi. The country is wrecked and has very little

:02:34. > :02:39.structure, so we need to do better than we have done so far. It's not

:02:40. > :02:43.easy to get it right, it's not be taken as criticism, particularly to

:02:44. > :02:47.our staff in Libya who are putting their lives on the line at times,

:02:48. > :02:51.but it's profoundly important we linked up these three areas of

:02:52. > :02:52.policy and make sure we make the extra effort in a post-conflict

:02:53. > :03:05.situation. I congratulate my noble friend, Lord

:03:06. > :03:09.Bruce, on his excellent and informative maiden speech. His

:03:10. > :03:16.expertise on international development is obvious. But his

:03:17. > :03:20.knowledge and experience go much wider. During the coalition he was

:03:21. > :03:24.always a source of wise and generous council, and also one of the most

:03:25. > :03:29.articulate advocates on the media for the role of the Liberal

:03:30. > :03:34.Democrats in the coalition, a job I confess we did not always make easy

:03:35. > :03:39.for him. I'll so congratulate all the noble lords who have made

:03:40. > :03:43.compelling maiden speeches. I spent a number of years working in South

:03:44. > :03:47.Africa where Lord Hain's name is not surprisingly held in very high

:03:48. > :03:53.regard. I want to focus on the government strategy for

:03:54. > :03:58.international development assistance which was published alongside the

:03:59. > :04:02.SDSR. In particular, on the key role of economic development as part of

:04:03. > :04:05.the international aid effort, and the strengthening of tax collection

:04:06. > :04:10.systems and element of those resources. First I want to address

:04:11. > :04:13.the tone of the document. It describes the approach of the

:04:14. > :04:22.government is a fundamental shift in how we use our 0.7% which will show

:04:23. > :04:27.reducing poverty, and serving national interest are intrinsically

:04:28. > :04:33.linked. I'm not sure how that marks a fundamental shift. The coalition

:04:34. > :04:41.strongly believed these issues worst intrinsically linked. We supported

:04:42. > :04:45.economically developing. It was committed to helping the world's

:04:46. > :04:52.most vulnerable. The fact that the strategy was published under the

:04:53. > :04:58.Emperor mature of the Chancellor of the Exchequer makes me slightly

:04:59. > :05:02.uneasy. We are now used to George Osborne's omnipresence, if not his

:05:03. > :05:06.miss eons, but in my experience, if George gets involved there's always

:05:07. > :05:12.a trick to out for. We will need to scrutinise carefully those

:05:13. > :05:15.departments that will now spend to check the chance hasn't just found a

:05:16. > :05:22.way to fund departments that he's otherwise cutting.

:05:23. > :05:28.I strongly support the offices both of the Coalition Government and the

:05:29. > :05:31.current government on economic development as part of its aid

:05:32. > :05:37.strategy. The purpose of our aid budget must be to assist countries

:05:38. > :05:47.where development can be driven from their own resources. I am proud that

:05:48. > :05:52.the coalition met the 0.7% target but the provision of aid is not a

:05:53. > :05:57.demonstration of success. It is the opposite. Our objective must be to

:05:58. > :06:02.provide aid in the mostly tangent and effective manner, to release the

:06:03. > :06:08.economic potential of the countries to which we provide so that they no

:06:09. > :06:12.longer require our support. Stimulating private sector growth is

:06:13. > :06:17.critical but we must be clear about our objectives. The government is

:06:18. > :06:21.keen to stress the opportunity for British business arising out of our

:06:22. > :06:29.aid strategy. If that means out of economic development the rise in

:06:30. > :06:33.demand, I support it but our development strategy has to be about

:06:34. > :06:38.creating an environment where indigenous business can grow, where

:06:39. > :06:43.an educated populace can provide a skilled workforce and economic

:06:44. > :06:47.activity can fund social development. It cannot be about

:06:48. > :06:57.flogging British goods and services or about multinationals exploiting

:06:58. > :07:02.developmental -- developing nations. How governments can strengthen their

:07:03. > :07:10.ability to get hold of their own resources through strength and tax

:07:11. > :07:15.collection systems. As was told to us this morning, the solution for

:07:16. > :07:20.Africa is not more aid but is using eight effectively to release

:07:21. > :07:29.domestic resources. A tax taking Africa's half the world averages. In

:07:30. > :07:33.conclusion I welcome the emphasis on strategy, on tackling tax evasion

:07:34. > :07:38.and avoidance and on improving tax systems in the developing world.

:07:39. > :07:42.That is closely tied to tackling corruption for those of the formal

:07:43. > :07:48.tax tape is low in many developing countries, the informal tax woven

:07:49. > :08:00.from corruption can make the cost of business prohibitive. We have been

:08:01. > :08:10.beset... We have been beset by a number of violent attacks. Some of

:08:11. > :08:16.these have been primarily murders of individuals as was the case of the

:08:17. > :08:22.anarchists of the early 20th century and the IRA in the 1960s and 70s.

:08:23. > :08:25.The bombing campaigns of the Germans in the first and Second World War 's

:08:26. > :08:37.were indiscriminate attacks that disrupt and kill, but he did not

:08:38. > :08:43.target individuals. From the 1920s onwards, and after 1945, we were

:08:44. > :08:47.beset by the revolutionaries Bolshevik regime whose interests

:08:48. > :08:54.were to subvert Western civilisation by all means short of war and it is

:08:55. > :08:58.very satisfactory to think that era has come to an end. Russia has

:08:59. > :09:06.become a nation rather than a crusade. I echo the words of the

:09:07. > :09:11.American ambassador to Russia in 1962, the Falklands War inspired a

:09:12. > :09:30.war of course, but Argentina never threatened the silence. We respond

:09:31. > :09:36.now to the new subversion of Isil. It's a movement with as many names

:09:37. > :09:44.as Chinese emperors. Their aim seems to be to kill indiscriminately,

:09:45. > :09:48.unlike the anarchists of the IRA, but to shock the world by what the

:09:49. > :09:54.anarchists called the propaganda of the deed and force the Western

:09:55. > :09:59.Christianity out of the entire Middle East. There have been similar

:10:00. > :10:06.violent movements in the Middle East in the past, such as the assassins

:10:07. > :10:12.themselves, but the difference is there an hour suicide bombers which

:10:13. > :10:18.is a new development. Since we need to be in the Middle East for our

:10:19. > :10:24.commercial interests, and because we have after all friends and allies,

:10:25. > :10:36.the UN has agreed to react and encourages us to do so in strength.

:10:37. > :10:42.It is hard to imagine as a historian of military matters, it is hard for

:10:43. > :10:49.me to imagine how to defeat this new enemy without some form of ground

:10:50. > :10:53.campaign. Those 70,000 Syrian soldiers of liberty in whom the

:10:54. > :10:59.Prime Minister urges us to have faith may turn out to be less

:11:00. > :11:02.reliable allies than the Kurds who success nevertheless will not be the

:11:03. > :11:08.recipe for peace in the Middle East in general because of Turkey. The

:11:09. > :11:11.great medieval Kurdish general who conquered Jerusalem from the

:11:12. > :11:19.Crusaders would have been delighted to hear that statement in this

:11:20. > :11:28.house. If you want to know more, I recommend reading the Talisman by

:11:29. > :11:37.Sir Walter Scott. The novel is the best revival, the best investigation

:11:38. > :11:44.of the Crusades. I have one minutes more and I would just like to say

:11:45. > :11:48.how much I agree with the noble Lord James of Blackheath when he talked

:11:49. > :11:53.about control of the media, but it is a very difficult matter which he

:11:54. > :11:59.has raised. It requires a great deal of strength and intelligence to do

:12:00. > :12:06.so. It is not a question of asking a newspaper editor to shut down

:12:07. > :12:16.critical cartoons, as was the case during the course of the war during

:12:17. > :12:22.the era of Sir Herbert Mandelson. My Lords, unlike the four admirable

:12:23. > :12:26.maiden speeches today, this is not my maiden speech because I first did

:12:27. > :12:36.that 36 years ago when I was 23. But this is the first time I have spoken

:12:37. > :12:42.for several years, following a short in voluntary absence since 1999. But

:12:43. > :12:46.I am very honoured to be back. I would like to first thank my noble

:12:47. > :12:51.friends on this side of the house, those of them that voted for me and

:12:52. > :12:55.I hope to be able to repay their trust. I would also like to declare

:12:56. > :13:02.two interests in this debate. First, I am the co-founder and chairman of

:13:03. > :13:06.a private security company and secondly, I am a senior executive

:13:07. > :13:10.with one of the worlds leading tanker shipping companies, which is

:13:11. > :13:18.also owned by the Russian property fund. It is only right I declare

:13:19. > :13:21.this. I would also like to thank the Lord Attlee for his kind remarks in

:13:22. > :13:26.relation to me and in relation to Russia and I hope to contribute to

:13:27. > :13:34.the subject of Russia in the future. In particular, I would like to prove

:13:35. > :13:37.the statement to paragraph 322, that Her Majesty 's government will seek

:13:38. > :13:43.ways of core operating and engaging with Russia on a range of global

:13:44. > :13:50.security issues, including Isil, and that to me seems a pretty practical

:13:51. > :13:57.approach but also keeping in mind Lord Palmerston's famous maxim that

:13:58. > :14:03.we have no eternal enemies or perpetual friends. We only have our

:14:04. > :14:09.eternal interests. Turning to review itself, and keeping an eye on the

:14:10. > :14:16.clock, I would like to commend the government on its clarity and

:14:17. > :14:20.impressive vision. And also like to single out three particular

:14:21. > :14:25.ambitions that they mention in their review. First, that all strategic

:14:26. > :14:33.reach and a particular reference to the incoming carriers and F 35 's.

:14:34. > :14:38.Secondly, it is paramount to maintain our position at the top

:14:39. > :14:44.table in Nato and other international strategic alliances

:14:45. > :14:52.and thirdly, that we should ensure that servicemen and women and their

:14:53. > :15:00.families are properly looked after them their loved ones are broad. --

:15:01. > :15:07.or abroad. But, haven't spoken with current and former soldiers,

:15:08. > :15:10.including special forces soldiers recently, I would like to ask the

:15:11. > :15:15.government how their impressive vision is going to sit with the

:15:16. > :15:21.current and especially funding realities? Is one of them recently

:15:22. > :15:27.said, this time, not another time -- fudge please. I would also like to

:15:28. > :15:32.ask three questions - is Nato to old, too old-fashioned and

:15:33. > :15:37.cumbersome for purpose? We need a Nato spearhead force able to be

:15:38. > :15:41.mobilised and deployed at short notice. Can the British Army really

:15:42. > :15:53.deploy a fighting division and is our reserve structure able to

:15:54. > :16:03.respond quickly in a crisis? I would also like to support the point made

:16:04. > :16:10.yesterday about the tension between, they expressed desire to

:16:11. > :16:17.recruit more soldiers from a smaller Jean Paul and finally, one original

:16:18. > :16:22.point, I would like to adopt the suggestion promoted by CGS at the

:16:23. > :16:26.moment in relation to his new chaser initiative, namely aligning the UK's

:16:27. > :16:32.commercial and military objectives while abroad as does the US and

:16:33. > :16:36.France rather aggressively and I think it will do well for us to

:16:37. > :16:43.adopt the same in order to bridge the obvious funding gap. My Lords,

:16:44. > :16:49.could I start by thanking my noble friend, Lord Attlee, for giving us

:16:50. > :16:55.the chance today to look at the paper and the special defence review

:16:56. > :16:59.in front of us. We go back quite a long way from bouncing like a pea in

:17:00. > :17:09.a pod in a poor harbour when he and I were in the defence groups gorge

:17:10. > :17:16.on and also, my noble friend, where we became entangled with both the

:17:17. > :17:20.Swedish and Finnish brigade who were attached to our own brigade out

:17:21. > :17:26.there. It has been valuable help and I do assure him and my noble friend

:17:27. > :17:31.the Minister that the House of Lords defence group have not gone away.

:17:32. > :17:38.The noble Baroness Lady Dean is not with us for some reason today, but

:17:39. > :17:46.Lord Astor is taking short leave, but could I say to the Minister that

:17:47. > :17:52.we do have always relished the enormous and tight relationship

:17:53. > :17:56.between the Ministry of Defence and backbench members of the lordship's

:17:57. > :18:07.house, who in various times of their lives, perhaps got their needs met.

:18:08. > :18:16.Could I direct the attention to the paper in front of us today and above

:18:17. > :18:23.all, paragraph 440, which were refers to the Brigades and the

:18:24. > :18:31.numbers of 50,000. I wonder if the Minister will recall his remarks

:18:32. > :18:37.today on the mix on the 50,000? That is possibly the number but there

:18:38. > :18:45.will be all sorts of arms of capabilities and capacities. Indeed

:18:46. > :18:54.they are very valuable pictorial illustrations on page 28. I am

:18:55. > :19:00.particularly interested to see land war fighting divisions from and the

:19:01. > :19:10.intelligence surveillance and the reconnaissance symbol. Could I

:19:11. > :19:16.direct your attention to paragraph 445 and 446, detailing the special

:19:17. > :19:22.forces. I think in any defence debate war in many matters, the less

:19:23. > :19:27.said about the defence of the special forces, the better. We are

:19:28. > :19:32.deleted when they get these later but one particular aspect of

:19:33. > :19:37.paragraph 46 does concern me. It says, we will buy advanced

:19:38. > :19:41.communications equipment. I say Cobblers to that. We won the best

:19:42. > :19:47.and only the best will do, particularly with special forces not

:19:48. > :19:53.just for them themselves but for men and women also occupied with them.

:19:54. > :20:02.If we come to paragraph 448, I would be interested to know, perhaps they

:20:03. > :20:06.can enlighten me, the term of the limited Brigades. I am quite

:20:07. > :20:13.interested into what the mix will be. Come to paragraph 449 and the

:20:14. > :20:20.typhoons, could you let me know what will be the mix in the numbers? I

:20:21. > :20:28.understand there to the 138 F 35 lightning aircraft at some stage.

:20:29. > :20:35.Ritchie advise which of the F 35s, what the mixture is likely to be as

:20:36. > :20:42.we will see what will be necessary? One more thing mentioned by the

:20:43. > :20:46.noble all, it's about accommodation. This is one particular aspect that

:20:47. > :20:52.has concerned the lordship's defence group. Accommodation, but I am

:20:53. > :21:02.delighted to see this will be one of the major projects. I see, I am just

:21:03. > :21:06.about to sit down. But if he could just glance at four 50 free, it will

:21:07. > :21:18.reassure me greatly. It's been good to see that this SDSR

:21:19. > :21:23.has arrested the decline in the defence budget over the last five

:21:24. > :21:28.years and made some attempt to redress some of the woefully short

:21:29. > :21:34.sighted decisions made in 2010. It has been particularly encouraging to

:21:35. > :21:42.see in the Prime Minister's forward review, his recognition to see that

:21:43. > :21:47.the ceilings need to remain opening and for the arteries of global

:21:48. > :21:51.commerce to remain free flowing. For this, maritime security, moving the

:21:52. > :21:54.Royal Navy back to where it should be at centre place of the defence

:21:55. > :21:59.strategy. As consequence of keeping the sea lines open, I have two

:22:00. > :22:07.particular concerns. Firstly, safe navigation is fundamental. You will

:22:08. > :22:11.be aware of the vulnerability of the global manifestation satellite

:22:12. > :22:18.system to interruption and jamming. -- global navigation. There is a

:22:19. > :22:23.safe back-up in this eventuality. I declare an interest as an elder

:22:24. > :22:31.brother of Sinn teahouse. Will the Minister care to comment on what the

:22:32. > :22:39.mid-'s intentions are as regard a reliable and robust alternative to

:22:40. > :22:43.GNSS when the back-up is terminated later this year when the French

:22:44. > :22:50.shutdown their station, a station without which this back-up cannot

:22:51. > :22:56.function. A national resilience component to this as well. Not just

:22:57. > :23:01.safe navigation, with regards the GNSS precision, navigation and

:23:02. > :23:07.timing PMT signals, on which key elements of much of our national

:23:08. > :23:11.infrastructure depends. Secondly, on safe sea lanes, and as I have

:23:12. > :23:16.mentioned in the debate following the statement on the SDSR in the

:23:17. > :23:21.house last week, we should be concerned about the current small

:23:22. > :23:24.number of the size of the current destroyer frigate force. These are

:23:25. > :23:29.the workhorses of the fleet, and on whom we depend to keep the ceilings

:23:30. > :23:33.open. The noble minister said in reply to my comment, as regards the

:23:34. > :23:40.sufficiency of ships, we are advised by the Chief of Naval staff that

:23:41. > :23:46.they 19 destroyer frigate fleet, capable of operating on a global

:23:47. > :23:50.scale, is what's required. That may be what the Chief of Naval staff has

:23:51. > :23:57.said, but that's only because the number of tax we have to digitally

:23:58. > :24:00.and quite properly undertaken have been cut in order to accommodate the

:24:01. > :24:11.paucity of escorts. -- been above tasks. -- the number of tasks.

:24:12. > :24:17.Safari is the Royal Navy's contribution to the core task of

:24:18. > :24:22.defence engagement is concerned, we need more ships to cover the

:24:23. > :24:27.necessary footprint. Although we might be able to draw some comfort

:24:28. > :24:30.about the announcement of the concept of designing and building a

:24:31. > :24:36.new class of light, flexible general-purpose frigates, it's

:24:37. > :24:43.simply too long to have to wait until the 2030s to see them. In the

:24:44. > :24:48.upcoming new national shipbuilding strategy, may I implore the

:24:49. > :24:52.government to see what can be done to bring forward those ships'

:24:53. > :24:56.introduction to service. These will benefit the industry by having a

:24:57. > :25:00.better shipbuilding drumbeat, generate earlier foreign sales

:25:01. > :25:09.potential where other navies like to see the Royal Navy use their class

:25:10. > :25:16.of Chip -- class of ship before they buy into it, and improve the United

:25:17. > :25:22.Kingdom's role in international security industry in light of SDSR.

:25:23. > :25:26.I congratulate the four maiden speakers and make three brief

:25:27. > :25:32.reflections. First, a consensus that the SDSR is valuable and welcome,

:25:33. > :25:36.certainly an improvement by its 2010 cost to exercise predecessor. I

:25:37. > :25:41.question whether the pace of change has been fully taken into account.

:25:42. > :25:48.There must be concern about the time frame given the many uncertainties,

:25:49. > :25:53.the contingents, the unknowns, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall,

:25:54. > :25:57.9/11, the Arab Spring, and mass migration to Europe, all of which

:25:58. > :26:03.stand as a corrective to long-term planning. There is a need for

:26:04. > :26:11.flexibility, agility in doctrine and procurement. With a lead time such

:26:12. > :26:16.as the new strike brigades, again the vanguard for placement seems to

:26:17. > :26:25.be stretched incredibly from 2004-2028, and now to the early

:26:26. > :26:28.2030s. Surely the case for adaptable platforms, capable for modification

:26:29. > :26:34.as the latent threat changes, has to be made. The history of the

:26:35. > :26:38.submarine is instructive. Planned in the early 80s, abandoned in the

:26:39. > :26:43.early 90s, and eventually sold cheaply to Canada. I concede part of

:26:44. > :26:49.the reason was cost-cutting, but the key consideration was that the role

:26:50. > :26:56.as a barrier to Soviet incursions in the North Sea have become redundant.

:26:57. > :27:00.Thus, even five-year projections can be swiftly undermined by events. For

:27:01. > :27:03.example, if Scotland had become independent, with an anti-Trident

:27:04. > :27:10.government, we would need the massive rethink of strategy. We need

:27:11. > :27:15.to learn from overseas examples. Previous knowledge of the health

:27:16. > :27:20.reef, I ask the noble Earl whether he was confident if there was

:27:21. > :27:28.sufficient spare capacity in our London hospitals to cope with a

:27:29. > :27:31.major terrorist attack, as Paris hospitals appeared to have coped. Is

:27:32. > :27:40.the planning for this contingency adequate? Also, the SDSR has a

:27:41. > :27:43.welcome emphasis on departmental is at home and cooperation with

:27:44. > :27:49.alliances abroad, certainly compared with the predecessor. Are their

:27:50. > :27:54.boundaries between the MOD and other organisations still to start, as

:27:55. > :28:00.Lord Howell himself said. Should the three departments not be seen as

:28:01. > :28:05.three legs of a Trident, but two of the three legs, have a guaranteed

:28:06. > :28:10.budget, so the FCO has to take the strain. Is the balance correct? Are

:28:11. > :28:14.the boundaries of these budgets sufficient and flexible? For

:28:15. > :28:26.example, military contribution to tackle it Ebola was temporarily. We

:28:27. > :28:30.advise those who sought its wisdom to know thyself. Yes, we are

:28:31. > :28:34.pre-eminent in self power, but have we reached a true understanding of

:28:35. > :28:40.our role in the world. Do I detect a certain bravado in the tone of the

:28:41. > :28:45.view? The Prime Minister said exotically that Britain is back.

:28:46. > :28:48.Have we made a root and branch examination of our own capabilities?

:28:49. > :28:53.The Falklands, the last of our unilateral campaigns, could not now

:28:54. > :28:59.be repeated. The review should be read in parallel with the review

:29:00. > :29:03.already cited. Thus, having fully adjusted to our proper role in the

:29:04. > :29:06.alliances with increased specialisation in procurement and

:29:07. > :29:18.regional market share. Is then our case for a new treaty to add Germany

:29:19. > :29:22.to the Franco - English Alliance? Will we in the UK have the full

:29:23. > :29:24.spectrum of capability? I'm not confident that these and other

:29:25. > :29:31.questions have been adequately answered in the review. In

:29:32. > :29:38.congratulating the four very good maiden speeches, may I introduce the

:29:39. > :29:43.referred to Lord Hailsham, who was introduce the same day as me last

:29:44. > :29:48.month, and I think you will agree he will contribute greatly to this

:29:49. > :29:51.house, and he made excellent points, and his timekeeping, keeping in self

:29:52. > :29:55.on the four minutes, must be congratulated. We are picking up

:29:56. > :30:00.where we left off yesterday. In my particular case I was the 64th

:30:01. > :30:05.speaker yesterday, and I'm now the 28th. I suppose I have been

:30:06. > :30:09.promoted. I welcome much in SDSR. Concentrating briefly on the Army

:30:10. > :30:15.today, I walked down to the Royal Gallery earlier and saw the names on

:30:16. > :30:19.the panels of those who died in the service from this house will stop

:30:20. > :30:23.many would have been volunteers in the first two world wars, and many

:30:24. > :30:27.will have had careers in the Army. We should ask whether the army

:30:28. > :30:32.remains an attractive career. Accommodation was extremely

:30:33. > :30:36.important. Primarily, young men want excitement and adventure, they want

:30:37. > :30:43.job satisfaction and a challenge. I'm afraid they may be less bothered

:30:44. > :30:49.about our suite facilities. 82,000 troops in the Army is too few. In

:30:50. > :30:52.the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan we created a much more

:30:53. > :30:56.professional force than the one I joined. If we are to retain those

:30:57. > :31:00.professional people, we have to offer them a continual challenge. I

:31:01. > :31:05.spoke to young officers on Tuesday night. One had been 20 man, Jordan

:31:06. > :31:18.and Belize in the last year, pretty interesting, but they clever young

:31:19. > :31:22.men, and in their late 20s they might be looking at the force and

:31:23. > :31:29.thinking their careers are not going anywhere. There are too few numbers.

:31:30. > :31:32.There are too few to deal with infrastructure attacks, as my noble

:31:33. > :31:40.friend mentioned in his maiden speech. To turn to those boots on

:31:41. > :31:46.the ground of which we hear so much, in the first Gulf War we deployed a

:31:47. > :31:50.division. In the second we deployed something similar but both were

:31:51. > :31:54.pretty difficult. Now it would be very difficult. And the Falklands

:31:55. > :31:59.would be impossible, as mentioned, because we have very few boots to

:32:00. > :32:04.stick on the ground. This document, the SDSR, has great aspirations, but

:32:05. > :32:08.we need more troops. I told the Prime Minister this five years ago

:32:09. > :32:14.when I was a minister in the MOD. I survived for a few years at least. I

:32:15. > :32:18.turn again to the special forces. If they are to be elite and special,

:32:19. > :32:21.they have to undergo a rigorous selection process. Often that

:32:22. > :32:26.process is rather unfair and good people fail to get through, but we

:32:27. > :32:31.are totally reliant on the quality and capability of the personnel and

:32:32. > :32:34.individuals. Our special forces are extremely busy and very good at

:32:35. > :32:39.their job, but you cannot create larger special forces on a whim. The

:32:40. > :32:42.Americans tried it in Vietnam and it did not work. Equipment is

:32:43. > :32:47.important, but you need to select and keep good people. The size of

:32:48. > :32:59.the Army, by being reduced by half from what role years ago, has shrunk

:33:00. > :33:03.the pool from which we recruit. In 1986, hardly anybody had heard of

:33:04. > :33:09.the SAS, but the embassy siege brought them into focus. It has to

:33:10. > :33:14.be a small and elite force. I remember a training Sergeant Major,

:33:15. > :33:17.formerly of the Welsh Guards, running selection in 1981 is saying

:33:18. > :33:26.there were no supermen here, we can't perform miracles and walk on

:33:27. > :33:33.water, but we have to have excellent people, keep them, and select from a

:33:34. > :33:37.much larger pool. I welcome the direction of the SDSR, but I have

:33:38. > :33:41.highlighted three concerns I have about our depleted army. It's too

:33:42. > :33:44.small, I'm concerned it doesn't offer attractive enough careers to

:33:45. > :33:50.keep people in, and we should not assume and cannot expect that elite

:33:51. > :33:58.special forces can do everything people seem to think they can. I

:33:59. > :34:04.would like to thank the noble Earl for tabling this debate. We have had

:34:05. > :34:10.an interesting few hours. I congratulate the government for its

:34:11. > :34:18.full spectrum of security taken in SDSR. The complexity of every danger

:34:19. > :34:24.we face means we must take a more strategic approach to using

:34:25. > :34:26.military. Intelligence, diplomacy, international aid, to contribute

:34:27. > :34:32.with other like-minded states to national security. Others on my

:34:33. > :34:36.benches, more expert than me, have addressed the issues of aid and

:34:37. > :34:43.diplomacy, and I would like to welcome my noble friend, Lord Bruce

:34:44. > :34:44.and his maiden speech. He will be a welcome and great addition to our

:34:45. > :34:48.benches.