US-UK Defence Relations John Nicolson (East Dunbartonshire)
(SNP) 1. What discussions he has had with his new US
counterpart on US-UK defence relations. [908438] The Secretary of
State for Defence (Sir Michael Fallon) I had an introductory
call with Secretary Jim Mattis last Monday. We discussed our joint
leadership in NATO, including...Request free trial
US-UK Defence Relations
-
(East Dunbartonshire)
(SNP)
1. What discussions he has had with his new US counterpart
on US-UK defence relations. [908438]
-
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael
Fallon)
I had an introductory call with Secretary Jim Mattis last
Monday. We discussed our joint leadership in NATO,
including modernising the alliance and encouraging all
members to meet the 2% spending commitment. On Friday,
President Trump confirmed he is 100% committed to NATO. We
also plan to work together to accelerate the defeat of
Daesh in Iraq and Syria. I look forward to meeting
Secretary Mattis at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting in a
fortnight’s time.
-
The new American President supports the torture of
prisoners of war. We do not and neither does the new
Secretary of Defence. May I ask the Secretary of State not
to reiterate the Government’s position, but instead tell us
why he thinks a proponent of torture is an appropriate
recipient of a state visit?
-
Sir
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made the
Government’s position absolutely clear. We do not condone
the use of torture in operations and nor does the new
American Secretary of Defence, Jim Mattis. As I understand
it, the President of the United States has made it clear
that he will be guided by those in his Cabinet. On this
issue, they are taking a different view.
-
(Aldershot)
(Con)
In my right hon. Friend’s discussions, did he mention
Chancellor Merkel’s call for the remaining EU 27 to engage
in closer military co-operation? Does he agree that it
would be extremely dangerous and damaging to NATO if such
co-operation was within the confines of the EU alone, and
that co-operation between European countries should be in
the context of NATO, not the EU?
-
Sir
Yes, I agree with hon. Friend. At the Warsaw summit in July
last year, all NATO members agreed to improve collaboration
between NATO and the European Union, particularly in areas
such as hybrid warfare and strategic communications. EU
Ministers have subsequently resisted the call for
unnecessary duplication with what NATO is already doing.
-
(West Ham) (Lab)
When countries announce xenophobic and destabilising
policies, does the Defence Secretary think the right thing
to do is to appease them?
-
Sir
If the hon. Lady is referring to the United States, then as
the United States’ deepest longstanding ally we will of
course make our views known. Our Prime Minister was the
first foreign leader to meet the new President. We will
continue to offer the United States our candid advice.
-
Mr (North Wiltshire)
(Con)
The Prime Minister securing the President’s 100% support
for NATO, along with General Mattis’s support for NATO, is
hugely encouraging, but does my right hon. Friend not agree
that some of the less than helpful remarks the President
might have made about NATO in recent weeks and months are
actually quite a useful wake-up call to NATO? We need to
modernise some aspects of the administration of NATO, and
we need to say to our NATO partners that they have to step
up to the mark and pay their 2% like we do.
-
Sir
Exactly. The new President has called for NATO members to
fulfil the commitments we agreed—the UK and the United
States agreed—back at the Wales summit in 2014. A number of
other NATO members still have a long way to go to meet the
2% target. We also agree with the new President that we
need to continue to modernise NATO to make it effective as
a response and as a deterrent.
-
(Barrow and Furness)
(Lab/Co-op)
What is the Defence Secretary’s attitude to the prospect of
the US conducting joint operations with Russia in Syria, an
idea floated by the President?
-
Sir
The United States and Russia already have an understanding
on operations in Syria that they will de-conflict their air
operations. Our own aircraft, where they are in similar
areas, are covered by that understanding. We see no plans
from the American Government, inside the coalition, to
co-operate more fully with Russia.
-
(The Wrekin)
(Con)
Cover to the Baltic states has been extended to Romania,
given Russia’s direct threat to that country. What
reassurance can the Defence Secretary give to the Baltic
states, which are very nervous about an assertive and
aggressive Russia?
-
Sir
That is why we agreed, at Warsaw last summer, to deploy
troops to all three Baltic states. Britain will be leading
the enhanced forward presence by deploying a battalion
there in Estonia, and contributing troops to the American
battalion deployed in Poland, to deter Russia from any
further aggression towards those countries.
-
(Llanelli) (Lab)
This weekend, we have been shocked and appalled by the US
President’s decision to impose a blanket travel ban on
citizens from seven Muslim majority nations. To do this on
Friday, which was Holocaust Memorial Day, only adds to the
horror and outrage that we feel. Has the Secretary of State
made clear to his US counterparts that there is no place
for such measures in the fight against terrorism, and that
such actions only inflame tensions and risk losing valuable
allies, such as Iraq, who are with us in the fight against
Daesh?
-
Sir
The hon. Lady and indeed the House may have the opportunity
to discuss this matter a little later on, when a statement
is made more formally about immigration policy, but let me
be very clear that we look forward to working with a new
United States Administration on the battle against Daesh.
That includes, of course, measures to prevent and reduce
radicalisation.
-
Many of us have also been embarrassed by and ashamed of our
Prime Minister, who for all her rhetoric on Britain leading
the world, decided to hold Trump’s hand instead of holding
him to account. Her belated and limp reply of “We do not
agree” was pathetic, especially when compared with
Chancellor Merkel, who spelled out that even the necessary
and determined fight against terrorism does not justify
placing people of a certain origin or belief under general
suspicion. Can the Secretary of State assure the House that
if President Trump issues defence-related Executive orders
that infringe national law or are an affront to humanity,
the UK Government’s response will be prompt, robust and
unequivocal?
-
Sir
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister conducted a very
prompt and successful visit to the United States, and was
able to secure from the new President a 100% commitment to
the NATO alliance and to work with him on a number of the
issues that we deal with jointly, including the coalition
against Daesh.
Sea Cadets
-
(North Cornwall)
(Con)
2. What support his Department gives to Sea Cadets.
[908439]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Mark Lancaster)
The Government and the Royal Navy recognise the benefits of
supporting the Sea Cadets and provide support through a
grant in aid payment. This is paid to the Marine Society
& Sea Cadets through a memorandum of understanding,
which also sets out further support with regard to the
provision of personnel, accommodation and training.
-
I recently had the pleasure of meeting the Padstow Sea
Cadets and their chairman, and fantastic work is done
there. The chairman expressed concerns to me about some of
their fixed costs, such as some of their utilities,
insurance premiums, transport costs and tuition fees. Will
the Minister look at this again, and see if he could make a
contribution to the fixed costs of the service?
-
The grant in aid payment to the Marine Society & Sea
Cadets is currently £10 million. The MOU between the Royal
Navy and the MSSC, which is currently under review, will
ensure that there continues to be Royal Navy support for
the Sea Cadets. I would be more than happy to ensure that
discussions on property issues will continue.
-
(Neath)
(Lab/Co-op)
Female sea cadets make up just a third of all such cadets.
What steps is the Secretary of State taking to encourage
more females to join the Sea Cadets?
-
It must be said that female representation in the Sea
Cadets is actually higher than it is in the armed forces,
but it is a matter that the Government take very seriously.
We have set several targets to ensure that our armed forces
are viewed as being open to both men and women, and we will
continue to pursue that over the coming years.
-
Mr (Kettering)
(Con)
23. You cannot get much further from the sea than
Kettering, yet the Kettering Sea Cadets are an example that
other Sea Cadet organisations should follow. Does my hon.
Friend agree that the Sea Cadets, the Air Squadrons and the
Army Cadets provide our young people with some of the best
examples in life that they could follow? [908460]
-
I think Milton Keynes may actually be further from the sea
than Kettering, and we also have a thriving Sea Cadet unit.
I am a great fan of the cadets. I started my military life
in the Air Cadets some 32 years ago. It is something that I
valued enormously. That is why I like to think that I am
one of the greatest champions for the cadet forces.
NATO Spending Target
-
(Kingston and Surbiton)
(Con)
3. What recent discussions he has had with his
international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending
target. [908440]
-
(Brecon and Radnorshire)
(Con)
8. What recent discussions he has had with his
international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending
target. [908445]
-
(North Dorset)
(Con)
13. What recent discussions he has had with his
international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending
target. [908450]
-
(Filton and Bradley
Stoke) (Con)
18. What recent discussions he has had with his
international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending
target. [908455]
-
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael
Fallon)
At the Wales summit, NATO agreed that security depends on
both how much we spend and how we spend it. All 28 allies
committed to meeting the defence investment pledge. The
United Kingdom already meets NATO’s spending targets, and
will continue to do so for the rest of this decade. I
regularly encourage all allies similarly to meet this
commitment.
-
It is right for all NATO members to meet the 2% spending
commitment which we make sacrifices here to meet, but in
the course of his discussions on spending and NATO
deployments, has my right hon. Friend met anyone who
believes that deploying troops to a NATO ally’s territory
is escalatory?
-
Sir
The battalions that NATO is deploying to the Baltic states
and Poland are combat-ready forces, but they are defensive
in nature, and constitute a proportionate response to deter
Russian aggression in the region. The only people who
believe this deployment to be escalatory are President
Putin and the leader of the Labour party. It is
extraordinary that the official Leader of the Opposition is
not prepared to back the deployment of British troops in
Europe, but now favours some kind of demilitarised zone.
-
Discussions are taking place in the European Union about an
EU defence system. What steps is my right hon. Friend
taking to ensure that commitments on the part of our
European allies to this new so-called EU army do not
contradict commitments to spending 2% of GDP on defence?
-
Sir
There is no agreement in the EU on the proposal for an EU
army. We continue to make clear that nothing should
undermine NATO, which remains the cornerstone of European
defence, and we continue to press for closer co-operation
between the EU and NATO. It is a fact, however, that 18 of
the 22 EU members of NATO do not spend 2% of their GDP, and
have much more to do to enable NATO to face the threats
that confront it.
-
The Prime Minister played a blinder last week with the
President of the United States in stiffening his sinews
with regard to NATO, but President Trump’s vacillation in
that regard over the last few weeks clearly exposes a
weakness in NATO in respect of the many countries which do
not pay that 2%. May I urge my right hon. Friend to make
every effort that he can to ensure that those countries
understand that we cannot always rely on the United States
of America?
-
Sir
There we agree with President Trump. Since making the
defence investment pledge, the majority of allies have
increased their spending in real terms, but it is still too
low: 19 of the NATO 28 spend less than 1.5%, and five NATO
members—by no means the poorest—do not even spend 1%. We
will continue, with the United States, to encourage all
allies to meet those spending commitments.
-
As well as encouraging our NATO allies to maintain the
spending of 2% of GDP on defence, will my right hon. Friend
ensure that they do not achieve the 2% by including
extraneous items such as pensions and other administration
costs, rather than investing in frontline capability?
-
Sir
The expenditure that NATO classifies as meeting or not
meeting the 2% is something for NATO to judge against its
own guidelines. I note that our own Defence Committee
commended the Government’s commitment to UK defence and
found that our accounting criteria fell firmly within
existing NATO guidelines, but ultimately, as I have said,
this is a matter for NATO to judge.
-
(Bridgend) (Lab)
Since the Wales summit, 22 NATO countries have increased
their defence spending in real terms, and 20 of them have
increased it as a percentage of GDP. The number of allies
spending 20% of their overall defence expenditure on
equipment modernisation has also risen from eight to 10. Is
the real risk to NATO not, in fact, defence spending, but a
move away from transatlantic solidarity, which the present
President is in danger of taking forward?
-
Sir
Of course we welcome the increases in defence spending that
have taken place—the baton is moving in the right
direction—but I hope the hon. Lady agrees that a number of
countries, including some that are quite wealthy, are still
a long way from meeting the 2% target, and, in some cases,
the 20% target as well. As for her latter point, I agree
with her: this is a north Atlantic alliance, and it is
extremely important for all of us to continue to assure the
United States that that alliance is as much in the
interests of the United States as it is in our interests
here in Europe.
-
Several hon. Members rose—
-
Mr Speaker
I think we should hear from a Lancashire knight: Sir
.
-
Sir (Bolton North East)
(Lab)
Now that the United States of America has clearly become a
less stable and reliable NATO partner, how pragmatic is the
2% spending target, and what consideration has the
Secretary of State given to allocating more time for
European defence, or is European defence simply not
fashionable any more?
-
Sir
So far as our partnership with the United States is
concerned, it is the broadest, deepest and most advanced
defence partnership in the world, and my aim is to continue
to strengthen it with the new Administration, particularly
in the shared programmes we have on the joint strike
fighter aircraft and in the reinstatement of our maritime
patrol aircraft capability.
So far as European defence is concerned, I believe that the
President’s remarks during the campaign and subsequently
are a wake-up call to all of us in Europe to make sure that
when we make these commitments, we honour them.
-
Mr Speaker
I am sure the Secretary of State meant graciously to
congratulate the hon. Member for Bolton North East (Sir
David Crausby) upon his knighthood, but as he did not, I do
so on his behalf.
-
(Dunfermline and
West Fife) (SNP)
The National Audit Office reports that the procurement
budget will reach its peak in 2020-23, at a time when
massive and vital projects such as the F-35, Ajax and the
Type 26 and 31 programmes will reach their peak. Our NATO
partners such as the United States have a much more
thorough oversight of procurement projects, something that
can be undertaken here only by the Defence Committee or the
Single Source Regulations Office. What plans does the
Secretary of State have to increase the oversight of these
massive projects, to ensure that we not only meet the 2%
GDP target, but our capability is delivered on time, on
budget and—
-
Mr Speaker
I think we have got the general drift, and we are deeply
obliged to the hon. Gentleman.
-
Sir
The hon. Gentleman knows that we are increasing the
equipment budget with a programme of £180 billion of
spending over the next 10 years, and we have taken a number
of steps to improve the delivery of that programme to
ensure that, as he says, these major projects are delivered
on time and to budget. We have also, of course, established
the SSRO to ensure we get best value for money for the
taxpayer.
-
(Caerphilly) (Lab)
Despite the Government’s huffing and puffing, it is now
very clear that their commitment to spend 2% of GDP on
defence is more apparent than real. The Government are only
able to say that they are achieving the 2% goal because
they are including areas such as retired MOD civilian
personnel pensions in their calculations, and my question
is quite simple: will the Secretary of State instead commit
to using the same method of calculation as Labour did at
2010?
-
Sir
On the return we file to NATO, I have already told the
House that it is for NATO to decide whether or not that
expenditure is properly allocated, and the allocations we
have made have been endorsed by a Select Committee of this
House. Let me remind the House that our defence expenditure
this year is £35 billion; next year it will be £36 billion,
the following year £37 billion, and in the last year of
this Parliament, £38 billion. It goes up every year.
-
(New Forest East)
(Con)
The Government are certainly not breaking any NATO rules in
calculating the 2%, but may I remind Ministers and hon.
Members that 2% is a minimum? It is not a target, and we
used to spend much more than 2% in the cold war years, as
recently as the 1980s. Does the Secretary of State agree
that even if all our NATO European allies were to meet the
2% pledge as a minimum, we would still be unable to deter
an aggressive Russia without the wholehearted involvement
of the United States, which is why the Prime Minister’s
visit to President Trump was so absolutely important?
-
Sir
I had been hoping over the last few days to find something
on which my right hon. Friend and I can agree, and we have
now done so, because I absolutely endorse both legs of his
proposition. The 2% is a minimum, and we comfortably exceed
it at the moment, but it is important that other countries
meet it, and, overall, it is important that the alliance
continues to improve its investment.
-
Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
On Friday, the National Audit Office placed a serious
question mark against the Government’s 2% commitment. Its
report revealed that in order to fulfil the defence
equipment plan following the collapse of the pound
post-Brexit, the Ministry of Defence will have to use all
its £11 billion contingency fund and make a further £6
billion of savings in defence spending across the board.
Given that Trident is ring-fenced, will the Secretary of
State tell the country whether it will be hard-pressed
defence personnel and our conventional capabilities that
will bear the brunt of those cuts?
-
Sir
No. We have always been able to maintain conventional and
nuclear forces in the past. The hon. Gentleman is right to
suggest that the scale and success of our equipment
programme depends on our securing and releasing the
efficiencies to which we committed at the time of the
strategic defence review, and that work is now in hand.
-
Brendan O’Hara
The National Audit Office report cast further doubt on the
Type 26 programme:
“Major changes to the requirement for the Type 26 Global
Combat Ship mean that costings for this…will be unclear
until 2018.”
With an ageing fleet in desperate need of renewal, a
looming budgetary crisis and the uncertainty caused by
Brexit, cuts to numbers, and delays, how does the Secretary
of State intend to make good on the promise to maintain 19
destroyers and frigates in the Royal Navy? For how much
longer does he believe that the Royal Navy can respond to
global threats with its current fleet?
-
Sir
We set out our commitment to the size of the fleet in the
strategic defence review. I am surprised that the hon.
Gentleman is so concerned about the budget for the Type 26
frigate, which is designed to protect the deterrent that he
does not want to keep; that seems an odd project to be
worried about. The terms of that contract have yet to be
finalised, but I can assure him that the expansion of the
Royal Navy is fully funded.
Defence Suppliers: Innovation
-
(Cheadle) (Con)
5. What steps he is taking to encourage innovation by
defence suppliers. [908442]
-
(Henley) (Con)
14. What steps he is taking to encourage innovation by
defence suppliers. [908451]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Harriett Baldwin)
With a rising defence budget and equipment plan worth £178
billion over 10 years, there are great opportunities to
encourage innovation. We are spending up to 20% of our
science and technology budget on research, creating an £800
million innovation fund and launching a defence and
security accelerator to fund great innovative ideas fast.
-
Thales in Cheadle is a global centre for innovation and
excellence in underwater combat systems and sonar. The
delivery of that technology relies on the retention of
high-tech skills. What steps is the Ministry of Defence
taking to ensure that we continue to encourage the right
environment for firms such as Thales and for smaller firms
in my constituency by investing in complex engineering
skills training and development to support innovation?
-
I draw my hon. Friend’s attention to the recently launched
skills strategy, which is called “Securing Defence Skills
for the Future”. The Ministry of Defence and the armed
forces are already the biggest provider of apprenticeships
in the UK. I know that Thales also runs highly competitive
apprenticeships and graduate training programmes, and that
it is particularly committed to increasing the number of
women with these skills.
-
How can small firms in my constituency that have great,
innovative ideas bring them to the MOD without getting
caught up in a bureaucratic procurement process?
-
I am sure that my hon. Friend noticed that, on Thursday, I
launched the Enduring Challenge, which is run by the
defence and security accelerator. It is designed to be a
simple front door allowing anyone with a great idea that
could benefit UK defence and security to enter into
defence. The funding for that will be available throughout
the year. On the other side of that door are helpful
innovation partners who will guide small firms through a
simplified procurement process, and I encourage firms from
across the UK to visit the accelerator website on gov.uk to
see how they can develop the next world-beating idea.
-
Mr (Warley) (Lab)
But in order to innovate, companies must have markets and
customers. President Trump has clearly proclaimed that he
intends to buy American, so will the Minister assure us
that, whether it is high-tech equipment, cars or supplies,
her Department will actually start to buy British?
-
As the right hon. Gentleman knows, we are of course the
industry’s biggest customer. He will also know that there
are great examples of international collaboration. For
example, we are purchasing 138 planes from the 3,000 in the
F-35 programme, and 15% of each of those 3,000 planes is
being built in the north-west of England. We have also been
selected as the global hub for the repair and maintenance
of those planes.
-
(Carshalton and Wallington)
(LD)
How are the UK Government helping defence suppliers to
innovate and secure part of the £1.4 billion that is spent
on repairing the UK’s nuclear weapons systems? Does the
Minister agree that it would help those suppliers if there
was transparency and accountability about the weapons not
working effectively?
-
That is another example of where we work closely with
companies in the defence supply chain on a range of ways in
which they can innovate. We put a premium on innovation
right across the defence industrial base, and the right
hon. Gentleman draws attention to one of the areas where
human innovation has been outstanding.
NATO Assurance Measures: Estonia and Poland
-
(Shrewsbury and
Atcham) (Con)
6. What deployments the UK is making as part of NATO’s
assurance measures in Estonia and Poland. [908443]
-
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mike Penning)
The UK has a leading role in NATO’s enhanced forward
presence. In Estonia, we are providing the framework
battalion of around 800 military personnel, which is based
around 5th Battalion the Rifles, an armoured infantry unit
from Bulford that is equipped with Warrior armoured
fighting vehicles. The battle group will also have
Challenger 2 tanks from the Queen’s Royal Hussars and
tactical unmanned aerial vehicles.
-
Our Polish partners and allies will obviously appreciate
such rotational deployments, but the Minister will know
that they are keen to have a permanent NATO base east of
Warsaw. Can he envisage that happening during the course of
this Parliament?
-
I had the pleasure of meeting my Polish counterpart only
the other week. Not only did we discuss the deployment of
150 personnel and Jackal vehicles from the Light Dragoons,
but I congratulated them on their spending 2% of GDP on
defence. I heard what they said about NATO, but that is a
matter for our NATO colleagues.
-
Mr (Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
I learned a great deal about NATO on my very first visit to
the United States, when I became a green card holder, so I
am particularly worried about what is happening with
immigration in the US. In the 1960s, NATO was the bedrock
of our defence in Europe; it still is today. We need a
stronger NATO and must convert President Trump into a
great, positive supporter of the defence of Europe.
-
I learned an awful lot about NATO when I was in uniform
with the British Army of the Rhine back in the ’70s and
’80s. Our American allies were with us then, and they are
with us today. We need to ensure that America is 100%
behind NATO—that commitment has gone through—and the Labour
party leadership should be, too.
-
(Gloucester)
(Con)
25. In relation to both these deployments, I welcome
President Trump’s wholehearted support for NATO, as well as
the transfer of command of the NATO response land corps and
the very high readiness joint task force to the Allied
Rapid Reaction Corps in Gloucester and the 20th Armoured
Infantry Brigade respectively. Does my right hon. Friend
agree that that is great testament to the UK’s role in
NATO, and will he send this House’s best wishes to the
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and the 20th Armoured Infantry
Brigade? [908462]
-
I could not agree more with my colleague. One thing that I
know as a former serviceman is that our armed forces need
to know that the country is behind them. I hope that the
entire House will support our troops as they deploy to
eastern Europe.
Leaving the EU: UK Defence Policy
-
(East Ham) (Lab)
7. What assessment he has made of the implications for
defence policy of the UK leaving the EU. [908444]
-
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael
Fallon)
The Prime Minister has set out our commitment to continuing
to work closely with European allies and partners on shared
defence and security priorities. We are already making a
significant contribution to a wide range of European
security challenges, and this year, in addition to
undertaking our normal exercises, we will deploy troops to
Estonia and Poland, and fighter jets to Romania.
-
The UK has long played a leading role in EU missions,
including Operation Sophia in the Mediterranean and
Operation Atalanta off the horn of Africa. Given the
renewed commitment expressed by the Prime Minister, to
which the Secretary of State has drawn attention, does he
intend us to continue participating in EU missions after we
leave the EU?
-
Sir
These are voluntary missions in which we participate not
simply because they are European, but because they are in
our own national interest—curbing piracy off the horn of
Africa, bringing peace to the Balkans and helping to stop
the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean. The right
hon. Gentleman is right that we will have the opportunity,
if we wish to do so, to co-operate with our European
partners on future missions where it is in our national
interest.
-
Sir (Canterbury)
(Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the answers to earlier
questions illustrate that we punch above our weight
compared with many of our European partners, both in terms
of spending and in terms of deployments to protect the
eastern flank of Europe? Does he further agree that that is
something that our European neighbours would do very well
to keep in mind as we negotiate a new relationship with
them after Brexit?
-
Sir
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his knighthood, as I
should earlier have congratulated the hon. Member for
Bolton North East (Sir David Crausby). My hon. Friend is
absolutely right that we need to continue to improve the
effectiveness of our work within the European Union and
NATO.
-
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
The 2015 strategic defence and security review considered
the pressures on allies, and the undermining of our
military and economic alliances and institutions, to be
possible risks. With the United Kingdom leaving the
European Union, what assurances can the Secretary of State
give that we will mitigate the economic risk, especially
given foreign currency fluctuations? The National Audit
Office pointed out that the fluctuations pose a
“significant risk” to the national equipment plan.
-
Sir
I will not comment—the hon. Gentleman would not expect me
to—on the current level of sterling vis-à-vis the dollar or
the euro. Suffice it to say that the Ministry, like any
other large organisation, takes precautions against
fluctuations in currency rates. It is far too early to
say—indeed, it is wrong to speculate—where those exchange
rates will eventually settle down.
-
(South West
Wiltshire) (Con)
The Ministry of Defence’s permanent secretary has said that
the European Union is “operationally irrelevant” to
defence, but does my right hon. Friend agree with me that
there are many areas where there is room for continued
collaboration, particularly on a project-by-project basis,
through the European Defence Agency?
-
Sir
The permanent secretary agrees with me on these matters. Of
course, after we leave the European Union, we will still
have the largest defence budget in Europe, the largest Navy
in Europe and some major capabilities that our other
partners do not have. We will continue to collaborate with
our partners, including key allies such as France and
Germany, but also northern European allies, on different
programmes. Our leaving Europe does not mean that we will
not continue to seek the efficiencies that come from future
collaboration.
-
(Caerphilly) (Lab)
The Ministry of Defence has said, quite correctly, that
co-operation with our European partners can both be
cost-effective and achieve worthwhile results. I welcome
the Secretary of State’s comments this afternoon, but can
he specifically tell us whether he has had discussions with
the Brexit Secretary about future European co-operation
after we leave the European Union?
-
Sir
Yes, I have.
NATO: Role of US Administration
-
Mr (Coventry South)
(Lab)
9. What recent discussions he has had with the US
Administration on their continuing role in NATO. [908446]
-
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael
Fallon)
The new US Defence Secretary, James Mattis, and I have
already discussed a range of NATO issues. I welcome his
public support for the alliance. The Prime Minister and
President Trump also had positive discussions about NATO
last Friday. The United Kingdom and the United States will
lead forward battalions this year in Estonia and Poland,
and I will work with Secretary Mattis on ways to improve
NATO’s effectiveness.
-
Mr Cunningham
It is quite true that President Trump has said that he
supports NATO 100%, but the American Administration have
also said that they would like to see changes in NATO to
bring it into the 21st century. What discussions has the
Secretary of State had with his opposite number about that?
If he has not had such discussions, why does he not start
them?
-
Sir
I have had those discussions, and I look forward to having
further discussions when NATO Defence Ministers meet in a
fortnight’s time, because we, too, would like NATO to
continue to modernise; streamline its bureaucracy and
decision making; improve the movement of troops, armour and
equipment across its internal borders; and ensure that it
can respond more rapidly and more effectively in times of
tension.
-
(Torbay) (Con)
Like the Secretary of State, I was pleased to hear that the
United States remains 100% committed to NATO, the bedrock
of the mutual defence pact. Does he agree that the best
indication of the role of the US in NATO is the
co-operation that we are seeing on bringing our carrier
strike force capability back, rather than some of the
commentary we are hearing in the media?
-
Sir
Yes. I was very pleased to be able to conclude an agreement
with the US Government before Christmas on the US Marine
Corps using the carrier to land its aircraft on. There are
many more opportunities for deeper collaboration on that
programme, and on the development of maritime patrol
aircraft, where we are both using the same type of
aircraft, as there are in the research and innovation areas
that the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon.
Friend the Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett
Baldwin), is leading on.
Royal Navy: Size and Capability
-
(Gateshead) (Lab)
10. What recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy
of the size of the Royal Navy’s fleet and (b) capability of
that fleet to respond to global threats. [908447]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Harriett Baldwin)
The Royal Navy is growing for the first time in a
generation, with new aircraft carriers, submarines,
frigates, patrol vessels and aircraft all on their way;
2017 is the start of a new era of maritime power,
projecting Britain’s influence globally and delivering
security at home. [Interruption.]
-
Sorry, it is my back, Mr Speaker.
-
Mr Speaker
The hon. Gentleman may ask his question from a sedentary
position if he wishes. I am sorry that he is in discomfort.
The House will want to hear from him.
-
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Select Committee on Defence
recently said, in a fairly damning report, that the Royal
Navy’s fleet of just 17 usable frigates and destroyers is
“way below the critical mass required”.
Does the Minister agree with the many former Sea Lords who
gave evidence to the Committee that the number of vessels
is just not sufficient, given that we are island nations,
to protect our interests on the high seas?
-
My sympathies to the hon. Gentleman. I wish to emphasise
that the 2015 SDSR announced that we will maintain our
fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers, and committed to eight
Type 26 global combat ships, three new solid support ships
and two new offshore patrol vessels. That is in addition,
of course, to the two new aircraft carriers, which, as he
knows, are well on their way.
-
Mr Speaker
We all wish the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns)
well. Knowing what a robust character he is, perhaps I can
say that no injury will dare to get him down for long.
-
Mrs
(Berwick-upon-Tweed) (Con)
Question 17.
-
Mr Speaker
No, the hon. Lady should come in on this question, to which
her own Question 17 is similar; she should piggy-back on
this question.
-
Mrs
(Berwick-upon-Tweed) (Con)
17. There is a thought for a Monday afternoon. What
percentage of the Royal Navy is now female? How does that
compare with other NATO countries? What is the MOD doing to
ensure that women who are joining up can have a long and
fulfilling career in our world-class Royal Navy, alongside
their family responsibilities? [908454]
-
I can confirm that as of 1 October 2016, some 9% of the
naval service strength was female—the departmental
recruitment target is 15% by 2020. The Royal Navy has a
number of initiatives to encourage recruitment and address
the retention of female officers, including having more
focused career management and increased access to flexible
ways of working.
-
Mr (North Durham)
(Lab)
In the 2015 SDSR, and again last December in the first
annual report on the SDSR, the Government were very clear
that the sea trials for HMS Queen Elizabeth would begin
this spring, but in response to a parliamentary question
last week, the Minister informed me that the trials would
now take place this summer. What are the reasons for that?
What will the operational service date be for HMS Queen
Elizabeth?
-
I can confirm that she will commence her sea trials this
summer and enter into the same programme so that she can
sail into Portsmouth later this year.
-
Mrs (Portsmouth South)
(Con)
Will the Minister join me in wishing Godspeed to HMS
Diamond, which is shortly to leave from Portsmouth to lead
the NATO taskforce in the Black sea?
-
I certainly will join my hon. Friend in wishing Godspeed to
NHS Diamond and, indeed, to all our destroyers that are
currently on a range of different tasks around the globe.
Yemen
-
(Livingston)
(SNP)
12. What recent assessment he has made of the security
situation in Yemen. [908449]
-
(Glenrothes) (SNP)
16. What recent assessment he has made of the security
situation in Yemen. [908453]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Harriett Baldwin)
The security situation in Yemen has been concerning since
2014, when Houthi forces and those loyal to former
President Saleh took over the capital Sana’a and forced out
the legitimate Government of President Hadi.
-
As the suffering in Yemen unfolds, the world watches in
horror. Nearly 2.2 million people are internally displaced,
half of them women and girls. Evidence from Amnesty
International shows that partially exploded,
UK-manufactured BL755 cluster bombs are lying unexploded,
injuring and maiming many people. Despite the Foreign
Office Minister denying their existence, the UK
Government’s own investigations back up media reports that
such cluster bombs have been deployed in the war in Yemen,
so when will this heartless Tory Government wake up, do a
proper investigation, take on Saudi Arabia and stop the
sale and deployment of these bombs?
-
I think the hon. Lady must have missed the statement that
my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave on this
issue in December. I can confirm that the humanitarian
situation is extremely serious. As a result, the UK is the
fourth largest donor to Yemen and is committing more than
£100 million this year.
-
The single biggest contributor to the humanitarian disaster
in Yemen is the Royal Saudi air force, which has
systematically destroyed almost the entire infrastructure
of the country, leaving 7 million people in danger of
starvation because food cannot be got to them. How much
worse does the humanitarian crisis have to get before the
United Kingdom stops selling £2 billion-worth of weapons
per year to a Government who are accused of 250 different
war crimes in Yemen?
-
The UK position is of course that a political solution is
the best way forward to bring long-term stability to Yemen
and end the conflict there. The hon. Gentleman will be
aware that the coalition in Yemen is supported by United
Nations resolution 2216. He will also be aware that there
are regular incursions into Saudi territory, and I am sure
he will recognise the legitimate self-defence of the
Saudi-led coalition under United Nations resolution 2216.
-
(Cambridge)
(Lab)
24. There was widespread concern at the Secretary of
State’s disclosure in December that UK-made cluster bombs
had been used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. The Saudi
Government have since said that they will not continue
their use, but there is no way of enforcing that
commitment. Will the Minister tell us whether the Secretary
of State has personally urged the Saudi Government to sign
the cluster munitions convention, which implements a
complete ban on this most destructive of weapons? [908461]
-
Yes, I can confirm that the Government regularly urge Saudi
Arabia to sign the cluster munitions convention. I can also
confirm that, in his statement in December, the Secretary
of State welcomed the announcement that UK munitions would
no longer be used.
-
(Rutherglen and
Hamilton West) (SNP)
20. We know that the UK sold 500 BL755 cluster munitions to
Saudi Arabia, but the Ministry is keen to give the
impression that only one of them has been dropped in Yemen.
Will the Secretary of State commit to demanding a full
current inventory, including serial numbers, of the
remaining munitions stockpiled in Saudi Arabia, as well as
records for those no longer in the Saudi’s possession?
[908457]
-
I draw the hon. Lady’s attention to my previous answer
about how we welcomed the Saudi Government’s commitment. We
do not routinely hold records of other nations’ use,
storage or location of UK-manufactured equipment,
particularly items that were supplied decades ago under
previous Governments.
-
(Leeds North East) (Lab)
As the Minister knows, there are serious allegations that
both sides in the conflict in Yemen have broken
international humanitarian law. Those claims are
particularly worrying to us in this country because we now
know that United Kingdom-supplied cluster munitions have
been used in Yemen. What action are the Government taking
to push for a full, independent, United Nations-led
investigation into the alleged violations of international
law in Yemen?
-
We do not oppose calls for an international independent
investigation into these incidents but, first and foremost,
we want the coalition to investigate allegations of
breaches of international humanitarian law attributed to
those groups and for the investigations to be thorough and
conclusive.
-
Several hon. Members rose—
-
Mr Speaker
Finally, and with rapier-like speed, I am sure, I call Sir
.
Royal Navy: Size and Capability
-
Sir (Southend West) (Con)
15. What funding he has allocated to increase the size and
capability of the Royal Navy. [908452]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Harriett Baldwin)
This Government are committed to increasing our maritime
power to project our influence across the world and to
promote our prosperity. Over the next decade, we will spend
£63 billion on new ships and submarines. The Royal Navy
will have two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers,
new submarines, frigates, aircraft, patrol vessels, support
ships and tankers.
-
Sir
When the Queen Elizabeth sets sail, does my hon. Friend
agree, that it will be testament to the skill of British
workers and our superb Navy? It will show Britain as a
global force, so will she make sure that Portsmouth gives
the ship a wonderful welcome?
-
It will be a moment of enormous pride this year when the
Queen Elizabeth sails into Portsmouth harbour. I am sure
that my hon. Friend will join many people on the pier at
Southend, hoping for a glimpse and waving as she sails
past.
Topical Questions
-
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
T2. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities. [908429]
-
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael
Fallon)
My priorities remain our operations against Daesh,
strengthening NATO, and implementing our defence review. I
can announce today that Her Majesty the Queen will unveil
the new Iraq Afghanistan memorial, with a service in London
on 9 March, as a reminder of the huge contribution that our
armed forces, aid workers and civilians make to the
security of the United Kingdom and to help build a more
stable future for the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan.
-
So far, 6,981 people from my constituency have signed the
petition to cancel Trump’s visit, and minute by minute the
figure is going up. Will the Secretary of State publicly
condemn the entry ban that Donald Trump has imposed on
seven majority-Muslim countries under the pretext of
defence?
-
Sir
I think that the Government’s position on this has been
made very clear. We do not agree with the way in which the
ban is being applied to British citizens, and the hon. Lady
may have an opportunity later this afternoon, if she
catches your eye, Mr Speaker, to pursue this directly with
my colleague the Foreign Secretary.
-
(Corby) (Con)
T3. What assessment has my right hon. Friend made of
Trident renewal on associated supply-chain jobs in the
United Kingdom? [908430]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Harriett Baldwin)
I can confirm that the Dreadnought submarine programme is a
major national investment programme that will sustain
thousands of jobs across the UK. The benefit will extend
well beyond the major companies leading the programme.
-
(Llanelli) (Lab)
Army recruitment levels are now worryingly low, due in no
small part to the Government’s total failure to manage the
contract with Capita, allowing that parasitic company to
sponge off the public purse while bringing in only 6,900 of
the target of 9,500 Army recruits? Will the Minister review
Capita’s contract and improve his Department’s monitoring
procedures to stop leech-like companies siphoning off
taxpayers’ money for little or no return?
-
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mike Penning)
We need to be careful, because comments like that undermine
the morale of our armed forces. Let us have some facts. On
1 December 2016, the fully trained strength of our regular
forces was 143,680, of whom 29,400 were in the Royal Navy;
83,360 were in the Army; and 30,870 were in the air force.
We have more work to do on retention and recruitment, but
those sorts of comments are not helpful to our armed
forces.
-
(North Dorset)
(Con)
T5. Last week, we debated the difficulty and challenge of
recruiting new prison officers. May I urge the Ministry of
Defence to use its good offices to point personnel who
leave the services of their own volition in the direction
of the Prison Service? There seems to be a synergy between
the two, with the skills and expertise of those in the
services much valued by the Prison Service. [908432]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence
(Mark Lancaster)
Our service leavers have many transferrable skills, and I
am pleased to say that the Ministry of Defence is working
with the National Offender Management Service to encourage
service leavers to join the Prison Service as part of the
Government’s recruitment of 2,500 new prison officers.
-
Mr Speaker
I call . Not here.
-
(Dulwich and West
Norwood) (Lab)
T9. The recent report of the Select Committee on Defence on
UK military operations in Syria and Iraq recommended that
the Government “provide the necessary detail on what is
being targeted”in those countries, and“put this
information, as far as possible, into the public domain”.Is
the Secretary of State prepared to make that commitment
today? [908437]
-
Sir
We already publish a huge amount of information about the
number of strikes that the Royal Air Force has carried out.
That information was updated today on the Ministry’s
website. It gave details of operations last week in and
around Mosul, and a strike to the west of Raqqa. That
information has already been made public but I will, of
course, look again into whether we can improve on it.
-
(Yeovil) (Con)
T7. I welcome the visit to Yeovil earlier this year of the
Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the
Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett Baldwin), and the
investment in Crowsnest fleet protection to be provided by
our Merlin helicopters. What is she doing to ensure that
Boeing works with Leonardo in Yeovil on the UK’s Apache
helicopters, and to encourage Boeing further to build
capability in the strategic aerospace cluster in Yeovil?
[908435]
-
I was very impressed when I visited my hon. Friend’s
constituency earlier this month. Of course, Leonardo
helicopters will support our existing Apache Mk1
helicopters until they are retired from service. I am
delighted that Boeing announced last week that it will make
the UK its European base for training, maintenance, repair
and overhaul across its defence platforms. I am sure it
will want to discuss that with Leonardo, which is well
placed to secure subcontract work on the next generation
Apaches.
-
(Glasgow East)
(Ind)
When will the Secretary of State answer calls to grant an
independent inquiry into the botched Trident II D5 missile
test to inform this House and our constituents what went
wrong? What plans has he made to ensure that the House can
be confident that the procedure for providing information
is reliable and timely?
-
Sir
I have no plans to commission the kind of inquiry that the
hon. Lady proposes because, as I have made clear to the
House, we do not on the Floor of the House comment on the
details of nuclear submarine operations or on the details
of the demonstration and shakedown operations, except to
conclude that HMS Vengeance successfully carried out that
operation last summer and has now rejoined the operational
cycle.
-
(Eastleigh) (Con)
T8. With Iraqi security forces making good progress in
liberating Mosul, will the Secretary of State confirm what
our brave British forces are doing in training Iraqi
security forces to rid Iraq of Daesh? [908436]
-
Sir
As Iraqi forces become increasingly capable and are
deployed across the country, we now need to deliver our
training more flexibly. In addition to training in Besmaya,
Taji and al-Asad air bases, I have authorised UK personnel
to deliver training at other secured and protected
locations in Iraq. This aligns with our approach in the
Kurdish region and ensures that we continue to deliver the
infantry skills, counter-IED, combat first aid and bridge
training that the Iraqi forces require.
-
(Barnsley Central)
(Lab)
Ministers are well aware and, no doubt, very concerned that
RAF serviceman, Corrie McKeague, has been missing since
September. The hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds (Jo
Churchill) has done sterling work keeping Members informed
of the work that is taking place to find him, but this is
clearly a very distressing time for his family. Will the
Minister place on the record the Government’s concern about
Corrie’s whereabouts? Will he also give an assurance that
all work is being done and all resources are being put
towards the search to bring him home?
-
Naturally, there is an ongoing police inquiry, but I am
sure that Members across the whole House will want to
register that their thoughts are with Corrie’s family,
loved ones and his service colleagues from the RAF regiment
who I had the honour of meeting at RAF Honington just after
he went missing. On a daily basis, I have ensured that all
available military kit, personnel and surveillance
equipment are available should the police request them, and
they have requested them on several occasions. I thank the
hon. Gentleman for paying tribute to my Parliamentary
Private Secretary, who has done diligent work in Bury St
Edmunds to ensure that the local community knows what is
going on. We all want Corrie to come home safely, and the
MOD will do all we possibly can.
-
(New Forest East)
(Con)
Following the revelation of a very rare failure of a
Trident missile test, will the Secretary of State confirm
that our nuclear deterrent still meets what might be termed
the Federer criterion of being able to deliver lethal
projectiles at high velocity, in rapid succession and with
total accuracy over a very long period of years?
-
Mr Speaker
It is a very high bar to imitate the accuracy and genius to
which the right hon. Gentleman alludes.
-
Sir
I am very happy to confirm the safety and effectiveness of
our nuclear deterrent.
-
(Rhondda) (Lab)
Has the Secretary of State had an opportunity to speak to
his American counterpart over the weekend, because many of
us would hope that he would have pointed out to the
Americans that Trump’s ban is potentially a massive
recruiting sergeant for terrorism and is not going to
protect anybody at all?
-
Sir
I have already made it clear that the Government do not
agree with aspects of the ban that was announced on Friday.
The hon. Gentleman will have the opportunity later this
afternoon to ask more detailed questions about it.
-
(Beckenham)
(Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that we will need to
increase the study of what is happening in the South China
sea, where the strategic threats are changing?
-
Sir
Yes, we are concerned at the rising tensions in the South
China sea. We continue to encourage all parties that may be
contesting the sovereignty of particular islands or other
areas to take those disputes through the international
forums that were established for that purpose, and
therefore to de-escalate the situation as far as they can.
-
(Newport West) (Lab)
The whole country will welcome the memorial to our 625
brave soldiers who perished in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
also welcome the Prime Minister’s admission that we will
never engage in wars of that kind in future. Would it not
be appropriate now to investigate why we went into Helmand
in the belief that not a shot would be fired, yet that
resulted in 425 deaths of our soldiers? Should we not
investigate that to make sure that we do not repeat it?
-
Sir
I hope that the hon. Gentleman, who has long held these
views, will take the time to read in full the Prime
Minister’s speech in Philadelphia last Thursday, where she
spoke of the importance of standing by the fragile
democracies in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where we have
increased our troop presence and where we will stay until
the job is done, which is to reduce the threat to our own
people here.
-
(Rossendale and Darwen)
(Con)
I am sure that the whole House will have heard with some
joy that the MOD’s procurement process is to be simplified
and diversified. To help us to judge the success of this,
will the Minister say how many people currently work in
procurement at the MOD and whether that number will go up
or down between now and the end of the Parliament?
-
I can provide in writing the exact number of people, as of
today, who work there. As this is a bespoke trading entity,
the aspiration is that we do not manage the head count in
terms of our procurement but manage down the cost of
procurement.
-
(Leyton and Wanstead)
(Lab)
In the light of recent events, how relaxed is the Secretary
of State about Trump having his finger on the nuclear
button?
-
Sir
The United States has always been a good partner to this
country and has played a leading role in NATO, and is a key
part of the nuclear alliance that we and the United States
share together. It is worth remembering that NATO is a
nuclear alliance. I look forward to working with the new
Administration on precisely that.
-
(Fylde) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming the Heads
of Government agreement signed at the weekend between the
UK and Turkey, securing over 400 jobs in Lancashire? Does
that not send out a signal that Britain post-Brexit is open
for business?
-
Sir
It does. I, too, am delighted that the agreement has now
been signed in principle on the TFX programme, which will
combine Turkish and British technology and brainpower into
the development of a new fighter aircraft. I hope that that
will lead to many more jobs being created both here and in
Turkey.
-
(Stirling)
(SNP)
In October, NATO appointed its first ever assistant
secretary-general for intelligence. If the new US President
follows through with his stated intention to reinstate
rendition and torture, the NATO allies would be legally
obliged not to work with him on intelligence. Will the
Government ensure that the alliance rules out the use of
torture in all respects, for the good of NATO
effectiveness?
-
Sir
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point. We do not condone
the use of torture and there are obviously implications
that flow from that.
-
(Wokingham) (Con)
Will Ministers take action to make sure that more of the
new light tanks we buy are made in Britain?
-
I am not sure whether my right hon. Friend is referring to
the Ajax programme, but I can confirm that we have taken
extensive steps to ensure that a significant portion of the
manufacturing processes of the Ajax vehicles takes place in
south Wales, and we will continue to work with our
suppliers to ensure that we get significant UK content in
all our procurement.
-
Mr (North Durham)
(Lab)
What are the reasons for the delay in the HMS Queen
Elizabeth’s sea trials, and what will its in-service date
be?
-
Sir
It has always been our intention that HMS Queen Elizabeth
should be accepted into the Royal Navy before the end of this
year. We are not giving specific dates as to when the sea
trials are likely to commence. Queen Elizabeth will set out
on those sea trials when she is ready to do so.
-
(Plymouth, Sutton and
Devonport) (Con)
In 2020, Plymouth will commemorate the Mayflower leaving in
order to found the American colonies. Is my right hon. Friend
willing to meet me and potentially some other people to
discuss how we can put together a review of the NATO fleet,
not only for Her Majesty the Queen, but potentially for the
President of America?
-
Sir
I am very happy to consider that suggestion, which is the
first I have heard as to how we might commemorate that
particular anniversary at sea. It is certainly worth looking
into.
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