0:00:27 > 0:00:32I bake leisure ask a question of which I have given private notice.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35The question is as follows. We pastor majesties Government one
0:00:35 > 0:00:40assessment they have made on the levels of investment in the British
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Armed Forces in the light of recent reports of attentional cuts in
0:00:43 > 0:00:52defence spending?Defence spending is rising not following. This year
0:00:52 > 0:00:56the budget is 36 billion and it will increase by at least zero plus 5%
0:00:56 > 0:01:04above inflation every year this Parliament to almost 40 billion by
0:01:04 > 0:01:0820 21. The UK is proud to be the second-largest defence spender in
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Nato and the fifth-largest in the world. Recent press speculation on
0:01:13 > 0:01:16changes to the UK's structure and costs of the budget has been
0:01:16 > 0:01:24misleading and unhelpful.Isn't it unprecedented for the head of one of
0:01:24 > 0:01:30the armed services to intervene in they did date of this kind? Made all
0:01:30 > 0:01:33the more remarkable by the fact that he has been endorsed by the
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Secretary of State for defence? Let me ask of he agrees with the
0:01:38 > 0:01:44Secretary of State for defence? S ahead of the Army and the Sentry
0:01:44 > 0:01:48state have now reached the that there is insufficient investment in
0:01:48 > 0:01:54defence isn't it high time the Government did so as well?S
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Discovery Bay, Thomas Pieters has not yet been given. What I recognise
0:01:59 > 0:02:04the sentiment that the noble lord has articulate. The national
0:02:04 > 0:02:08security capability review is about maintaining agility in this
0:02:08 > 0:02:15countries security and defence as they had of the curve in terms of
0:02:15 > 0:02:20the resources that we deploy. We must remain agile in a world that is
0:02:20 > 0:02:26ever-changing and that is why the Government is conducting this
0:02:26 > 0:02:30review. It's about ensuring that our defence and security all season
0:02:30 > 0:02:42plans are as joined up efficient and effective as possible.I apologise
0:02:42 > 0:02:47for jumping up too quickly. Does the smart cover the chaos and the whole
0:02:47 > 0:02:53defence area? The annual report in 2015 was due in the end of December
0:02:53 > 0:02:59and yet somehow it has subsumed into www. ID for which we have not
0:02:59 > 0:03:03caught. Can I ask the noble lord whether this review will set out the
0:03:03 > 0:03:10threats, how they're going to be mad, and if Cassie stated in
0:03:10 > 0:03:14previous answers, there is no money, what threats we are going to
0:03:14 > 0:03:24tolerate mis-mac? There is no chaos whatsoever. The SCR is about
0:03:24 > 0:03:30analysing across government decides to national security and consider
0:03:30 > 0:03:37their impact on the implementation of the 2015 as the SR and national
0:03:37 > 0:03:44security strategy. And that context the Mr defence is done a great deal
0:03:44 > 0:03:50of high work. One that -- once the NSC are as Kodro close the want to
0:03:50 > 0:03:56build on the elements of the good work that has been done to export
0:03:56 > 0:03:57further the opportunities for modernisation that had been
0:03:57 > 0:04:06identified.Should it not be remembered that for every hour of
0:04:06 > 0:04:10every day and every night there is somewhere in the world one of our
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Trident submarines on patrol ready to respond should our supreme
0:04:15 > 0:04:18national interest so require? Should not any potential aggressor be
0:04:18 > 0:04:24reminded accordingly?My noble friend is absolutely right but it is
0:04:24 > 0:04:31precisely for that reason that the recent speculation in the press and
0:04:31 > 0:04:35elsewhere is unhelpful. It is unhelpful because it is inherently
0:04:35 > 0:04:44unsettling to the men and women of the Armed Forces.Aside attentional
0:04:44 > 0:04:46cuts does the speculation about there architecture currently in
0:04:46 > 0:04:51place down in particularly cuts which affect the training of Armed
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Forces. What the Minister like to comment on that because that is
0:04:56 > 0:05:01affecting our fighting efficiency and morale.That is correct. Some
0:05:01 > 0:05:06decisions have been taken for the current financial year two decrease
0:05:06 > 0:05:13the amount of training that certain parts of the Armed Forces will be
0:05:13 > 0:05:21able to avail. I emphasise that it is a temporary measure.No bigger
0:05:21 > 0:05:26illustration of the Minister did that last ahead of service attack
0:05:26 > 0:05:31with the fact were resources. I cannot read that ever happening
0:05:31 > 0:05:35before. Admittedly I've only been in the Navy for 453 years but I don't
0:05:35 > 0:05:39know that happened before. This is a worrying event and it reflects what
0:05:39 > 0:05:42has been said of his has and the other house about a fence. My
0:05:42 > 0:05:46question relates to our sailors, soldiers and airmen. This
0:05:46 > 0:05:49uncertainty in the pressure on resources, the howling out which is
0:05:49 > 0:05:53going on day by day Thomas is actually affecting the morale of our
0:05:53 > 0:05:56people. It is actually causing difficulty in recruiting. People are
0:05:56 > 0:06:04leaving. There are less people. To mask the Minister is a sad face in
0:06:04 > 0:06:07our MOD going to produce a been telling our people what is going on,
0:06:07 > 0:06:13what the future looks like, when will there be an SDR, is about an
0:06:13 > 0:06:16SDR, what exactly is happening? Because at the moment there are
0:06:16 > 0:06:22strange confusion and this is bad for our military.The central point
0:06:22 > 0:06:27noble lord makes is of course quite correct. I agree with him
0:06:27 > 0:06:30uncertainty in any context can be unsettling and damaging and the
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Government does not wish to prolong this exercise for longer than
0:06:33 > 0:06:40necessary. I can listen to him that the review is still currently
0:06:40 > 0:06:45ongoing, Ministers will consider conclusions in due course, and he
0:06:45 > 0:06:48decisions on whether or what extent the conclusions of the work are made
0:06:48 > 0:06:56public will be for a separate decision by Ministers.Last Thursday
0:06:56 > 0:06:59we had a defence debate in this House which I had the honour of
0:06:59 > 0:07:02leading. The Thursday before there was a mag doesn't debate in the
0:07:02 > 0:07:08other house supported by all members, all sides of the House in a
0:07:08 > 0:07:13major way. Why would like to say is that at the debate became very clear
0:07:13 > 0:07:17from those were much more space in this House who handled themselves
0:07:17 > 0:07:22magnificently as a duty to the country, on the basis I would like
0:07:22 > 0:07:30to we thought with you there is grave disquiet, I repeat the words
0:07:30 > 0:07:37grave disquiet, from all members in both houses. That noble lord, my
0:07:37 > 0:07:41friend the noble lord, who has huge experience in this area and is
0:07:41 > 0:07:47always totally courteous on this must be aware of this aspect of
0:07:47 > 0:07:51disquiet. It is huge. I would like to ask the noble lord whether he
0:07:51 > 0:07:55would be prepared to ask the powers that be that this House should have
0:07:55 > 0:08:01a full debate for a whole day on defence of the realm. They have five
0:08:01 > 0:08:06and a half hours last week in the other house and this is a huge
0:08:06 > 0:08:10important subject and none of us want to live to regret not doing art
0:08:10 > 0:08:17duty. Thank you.As my noble friend knows this House returns to the
0:08:17 > 0:08:22subject of defence at regular intervals but I will of course
0:08:22 > 0:08:27convey my noble friends request to the usual channels and I for one
0:08:27 > 0:08:31would be more than happy to take part in such a debate. I am of
0:08:31 > 0:08:35course aware of the disquiet that he refers to I've been made aware of it
0:08:35 > 0:08:41across your lordships have over many weeks.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The exercise we're doing is a very important one. It's up to make sure
0:08:45 > 0:08:53the law enforcement as a fit for the future not the past.The area for
0:08:53 > 0:09:02this was agility. Agility runs through three essential elements. In
0:09:02 > 0:09:08mobility, Marines, Naval mobility, and cyber, which now permeates all
0:09:08 > 0:09:16defence. Can you guarantee there will be no cuts to Marines, no cuts
0:09:16 > 0:09:26to air mobility, and cyber will be the first part of the major report?
0:09:26 > 0:09:32As I have made clear in this House, there is no question of this country
0:09:32 > 0:09:42abandon negative Fabius capability. Nor is there a question about... In
0:09:42 > 0:09:48the contrary, we will boost cyber capabilities. The NSC arm a result,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52the situation, that's is us reprioritizing how we allocate our
0:09:52 > 0:09:57resources to emphasise the most effective capabilities for the world
0:09:57 > 0:10:05in which we operate.Would the noble Minister tell the House weather, and
0:10:05 > 0:10:10I think you referred the results of the review may or may not be made
0:10:10 > 0:10:13public. Will he tell the House why there might be a possibility that it
0:10:13 > 0:10:16would be made public? Were not asking for the evidence to be made
0:10:16 > 0:10:20public, what asking for the results of the review to be made public in
0:10:20 > 0:10:25order that the rest of us can't see how they have arrived to the
0:10:25 > 0:10:30conclusions they have arrived at.My lords, the Government always wishes
0:10:30 > 0:10:34to see maximum transparency in decisions that it takes, but there
0:10:34 > 0:10:37may be national security considerations which override that.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41My noble friend for whom I have great respect talks about raising
0:10:41 > 0:10:46the amount above and please send... And I point out to him to fall in
0:10:46 > 0:10:51the value of sterling has negated this completely and situations
0:10:51 > 0:10:57change so much, particularly with regard to Russia. We could mention
0:10:57 > 0:11:01North Korea. There are a lot of people in this House and in the
0:11:01 > 0:11:10country who are concerned about the fence. -- about defence.I am fully
0:11:10 > 0:11:10aware of