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Defence in the UK

As the hon. Gentleman says, it will be the only time. I also thank everyone for the kind letters that I have received, including one from a member of the Defence Committee, which said, ““Your moving on is a little like toothache: you miss it when it's gone.”” I also pay tribute to my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg), and his tremendous work on behalf of veterans, and to the former Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne). I thank the members of the Defence Committee, where I had seven and a half wonderful years, and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the work that they have done. I also thank the staff and the special advisers for their hard work. Members will be reassured to know that I am now a fully trained-up member—I have just signed up this week—of the new Ministry of Defence poacher-turned-gamekeeper course. This has been an interesting experience and learning curve, but I must say that I have been welcomed and I acknowledge the enthusiasm and dedication of the staff and military personnel I have worked with in the last few days. If I do not cover all the subjects raised, I will write to any hon. Members who brought up specific points. The hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) raised JPA—joint personnel administration. My predecessor commissioned a report on some of the problems and this week I met the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff and the three principal personnel officers. I have actioned that report and asked them to ensure that it is on the agenda for my monthly meetings; rest assured that I will be on top of it. Mental health was raised, and members of the Select Committee know that it is an area in which I take great interest. I have had a meeting this week with the Surgeon General and Dr. Ian Palmer of the mental health medical assessment programme. I have asked for work to be commissioned on the issue to ensure that it is a top priority. I know that it is causing concern and I want to ensure that the armed forces get the best mental health care—not just while they are in service, but afterwards. The hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) raised the issue of Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith. I had the privilege of meeting the brigadier in July when I was in Afghanistan. I pay tribute to him and his men for their tremendous work on our behalf. The position is clear and not ambiguous: as the Prime Minister said on 12 December, we do not negotiate with the Taliban, but we will work with the Afghan Government in relation to those people who are prepared to renounce violence. As the right hon. Member for North-East Hampshire (Mr. Arbuthnot) knows, we sat down with some people who had done that when we were there. I do not think that the brigadier or the stabilisation team, whom we met in Lashkagar and are doing a tremendous job, would disagree with that approach. Anyone who tries to say that the military are doing everything should look at the stabilisation team working in Lashkagar, because it is a great joined-up effort. I pay tribute to my hon. Friends the Members for Plymouth, Devonport (Alison Seabeck) and for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy) for their hard work on behalf of Devonport and the Devonport strategy group. I understand their frustration, but I reiterate the point made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces in his letter: there is no equivocation about the Government's commitment to Devonport. With two such strong advocates, I am sure that I will get regular updates. The naval base review will deliver what is planned. The hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) covered a few issues, including the future rapid effect system—as the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton) knows, I am a FRES anorak, along with her, and follow it in detail. She rightly paid tribute to the operational requirements delivered in Afghanistan, and I have seen the protection given to our servicemen and women on the ground in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I pay tribute to the team who have got those urgent operational requirements into theatre. My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) made a fantastic speech. I have known him a long time. He and I worked together, along with Lord Robertson, and the GMB trade union is obviously a good breeding ground for Defence Ministers. My hon. Friend takes a great interest in European affairs, and I agree with him that we cannot insulate ourselves from the rest of the world. We need to emphasise that. The right hon. Member for North-East Hampshire will be pleased to know that this week I met the deputy chief of the defence staff for personnel and three personnel officers and asked them to do some work on retention—not just in relation to pay, but to find out what else can be done. I received the right hon. Gentleman's letter about his trip to Israel. Not only will I respond to it, but I would like to speak to him about it. I understand his concerns about affordable housing. That issue is on my radar screen, and a piece of work has been commissioned this week. My hon. Friend the Member for Telford (David Wright) is a strong advocate for his constituency. I think that he is trying to get me to name a ship after him or Telford, which would be difficult. Perhaps he should follow the example of Durham county council, which is proudly associated with HMS Bulwark. He mentioned the success of the veterans badge, of which 650,000 have been produced. They are valued and welcome in recognising the debt of honour to those men and women who have sacrificed their lives and worked on our behalf. My hon. Friend also mentioned the situation of those injured and killed on operations. On 10 June the Secretary of State announced a scroll and emblem for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives in action on our behalf. I thank and pay tribute to the Daily Mirror for its campaign on that. With time short, I apologise to other Members whose contributions I will not be able to cover. I find this an exciting brief, and I will ensure that the voice of veterans and of the ordinary man and woman who serve on our behalf is heard loudly in the Ministry of Defence. Let me also say, in the spirit of bipartisanship referred to by the hon. Member for New Forest, East, that I want to work with Members in all parts of the House to ensure that we secure not only the best possible conditions but the best possible recognition for our armed forces. It being Six o'clock, the motion lapsed without Question put.