Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Gerald Howarth (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 12 December 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Relief Effort (Pakistan)

Question: I am sure that the whole House is very proud of the part played by the Royal Air Force in dealing with the terrible disaster in Pakistan. It is even more notable that we have been able to make that contribution despite the enormous pressure under which our helicopter fleets are operating. May I return to the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for North-East Hampshire (Mr. Arbuthnot)? The fact is that we are short of heavy lift. We do not require it just for military purposes; we need it for precisely the kind of situation that we see in Kashmir, where the United Kingdom can make a serious contribution. Unless the Government are prepared to devote the necessary resources to defence, however, we shall not have that capability. In Iraq, as the Minister knows perfectly well, our helicopters are under enormous pressure. Can he not do more to ensure that the country has the heavy lift that it needs?

Answer: : I do not think that the hon. Gentleman heard what I said. We are paying a great deal of attention to the problem, and there are ways in which we can ameliorate it. We can ensure that more platforms are available at any one time, which constitutes best use of our defence resources. I do not propose to enter into a debate, but I shall mention in passing that defence has received the largest sustained increase in funds for 20 years. It received £3.7 billion in the Budget—a real-terms increase of 1.4 per cent.—over the current spending review period from this Government, which contrasts with the cuts made by the last Tory Government.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 440 c1103-4
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Disaster relief Helicopters Pakistan Military aid Chinook helicopters Earthquakes
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk