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Defence Procurement

Of course our forces are entitled to the best equipment. That could not be more graphically demonstrated than by the loss of so many of our brave young people this week. That equipment should be purchased, and at the right price. It should deliver security of supply and, above all, be dependable. The safety of our forces is paramount and value for money is vital, but I am obliged to say that in the main and in the long-term the most secure and dependable supply is a local supply manufactured and delivered by the UK for the UK and in the UK. I completely accept that urgent operational requirements and international co-operation are separate matters, but in the long term, in the main, we should buy British. The Government Front-Bench team may be a little tired of hearing from my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) about the cut-and-sew contract to supply our soldiers' uniforms. He is absolutely right to complain about the way in which British jobs were sold out when we allowed our uniforms to be manufactured abroad. The contract was placed with a company in Northern Ireland that immediately transferred production to China. That five-year contract is coming up for renewal, and I sincerely hope that we will soon see an end to the scandal of British soldiers wearing uniforms made by one of our commercial and military rivals. Ridiculously, British soldiers wearing uniforms made in China are working alongside Afghan army soldiers, who enjoy the luxury of having their uniforms tailored in Lancashire. Does anyone really believe that the Chinese or the Russians would dress their soldiers in Lancashire cotton? I do not. It would be funny if it was not so sad. All that we ask is that when the Ministry of Defence lets the contract again, we ensure that the product is produced in Britain, or at the very least in Europe, and that we are not in the appalling situation of supplying our troops with inferior kit that then has to be repaired in Britain. The aerospace industry also profits greatly from Lancashire. The British aircraft and aerospace industry is second in size only to America's, and it is a significant driver of economic growth and productivity. We should be enormously proud of it, and we must make certain that we look after it, not just because of the jobs involved, but in the interests of our military sovereignty. We have been able to maintain our position as the world's second largest defence supplier, and so we should. After all, we are the world's second largest defence importer. The British defence industrial base has a proud, successful history, but the smart trick will be to ensure that we have a long, successful future. We choose to spend more of our taxpayers' money on defence than many of our European partners, and we are right to do so. I hear all the talk about co-operation with our allies, but the first step towards that co-operation is for our allies in NATO to start spending the same amount of gross domestic product on defence as we do, and to be as prepared to put their soldiers and service people in harm's way as we are. Britain has the most open market in the world, and that, no doubt, drives down costs and improves the quality of our defence-related products. We must ensure that our willingness to allow access to our markets does not result in the decimation of British jobs or loss of essential skills and British intellectual property.