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Defence Procurement

When I was the Chairman of the Defence Committee and the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) was partially under my control, I thought I could teach him the moderation and fair-mindedness that I had exhibited throughout my parliamentary career. At the beginning of his speech, I thought that I had succeeded brilliantly, but I realised that I had wasted 15 years of my life when he lapsed back into his partisan ways, seeing everything through a single set of spectacles. Frankly, if people are considering what way to vote in the next election and if defence figures heavily in their thinking, perhaps they should look at who the spokesmen are on those areas of policy. That gives me a great deal of hope, which I must confess I have not witnessed for some weeks. If the hon. Gentleman manages to convey his sense of fairness to his other colleagues, I shall be quite up for the next election.