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Defence Industrial Strategy

My Lords, I am sure that all those interested in defence will welcome the strategy and I associate myself with the remarks made by the noble Lords, Lord Astor and Lord Garden, who have already congratulated the Minister on its production. I do not know whether the Minister has read a recently published book, entitled The Utility of Force, by General Sir Rupert Smith in which he refers to two types of warfare: industrial warfare between industrial nations, which used to feature but virtually ended after the Second World War; and what we are currently engaged in, which he describes as war among the people, which requires very different techniques as well as equipment. My late boss, the Lord Field Marshal Lord Carver, used to say that there were two definitions of affordability: can you afford it; and can you afford to give up what you must to afford it? What I am interested in and look forward to in the debate about the strategy is that we have heard about expensive platforms, some of which were introduced during the time of industrial war, rather than war among the people. We have not heard much about the equipment for the people who are involved in the conflict. The Minister will remember the days of the last Gulf War, when we heard far more about concerns about boots, flak jackets and clothing for the men than we did about equipment. So I hope that, when we debate the strategy, leeway will be allowed in future for affordability, to satisfy the needs of the people who have to carry out whichever policies the Government require them to exercise.