Extracts from Opposition day debate (Commons) on Strength of the UK’s Armed Forces: Falkland Islands - Apr 14
Thursday, 15 April 2021 07:57
The Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey):...At sea, we
have had forward deployed ships in the Caribbean and the Falklands
for a number of years, and I can announce to the House that last
week HMS Trent arrived in Gibraltar, where she will now be
permanently based in order to service the UK’s interests in both
the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea. Later in the year, a
further offshore patrol vessel will sail for the Indo-Pacific,
where she will also be permanently forward based....Request free trial
The Minister for the Armed Forces ():...At sea, we have had forward deployed ships
in the Caribbean and the Falklands for a number of years, and I
can announce to the House that last week HMS Trent arrived in
Gibraltar, where she will now be permanently based in order to
service the UK’s interests in both the Mediterranean and the Gulf
of Guinea. Later in the year, a further offshore patrol vessel will
sail for the Indo-Pacific, where she will also be permanently
forward based. The maritime forward presence is further enhanced by
the restoration of our high-readiness global carrier strike
capability and the new littoral response groups providing an at-sea
high readiness amphibious response force on NATO’s northern and
southern flanks...
(Warley)
(Lab):...The removal of HMS Endurance from the
Falklands—the withdrawal of resources—sent a very
clear signal to the Argentine junta that we lacked resolve, and we
know the consequences of that. We had the withdrawal from Germany.
My right hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) and I
pointed out to Ministers at the time that they would not save any
money, and now they are having to go back there. They are taking
the forces for granted and running down their facilities...
(St Helens South and Whiston) (Lab)
[V]:...Retired British generals have said that further Army
cuts mean that the UK is no longer taken seriously as a military
power, and that it would damage our relationship with the US and
our position in NATO. Worse still, Lord Richards—former Chief of
the Defence Staff—has warned that we almost certainly would not be
able to retake the Falklands or prevent genocide
like we did in Kosovo...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
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