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Defence Policy

Before the Secretary of State moves on from the section of his speech that deals with equipment, may I ask him a question about aircraft carriers? An aircraft carrier is a powerful weapon—it can deliver a weapon a long distance; it provides air cover; and it has diplomatic presence—but on its own it is a very vulnerable piece of equipment, because it needs anti-submarine defence, air-defence, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service support, and airborne early-warning systems. Can he assure me that his plans for the Royal Navy will provide enough equipment to sustain a carrier on-station in sequence with the one that is off-station?