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Defence in the UK

I have written to hon. Members, making them aware of the action that we have taken to ensure that we speed up the work that is required on those aircraft. We are not prepared to fly beyond 31 March aircraft that do not have those vital fire breaks re-engineered and refitted, and we have taken the necessary action to do that. We are able to do that without the Nimrod stopping its vital mission in the UK. I think I have written to the hon. Gentleman making him aware of that, as well as to other hon. Members, so nobody can be in any doubt that we are holding to that 31 March deadline. What we have done is intended to enable us to get on with that work as quickly as possible, and we anticipate that the entire fleet will be refitted by the summer, and that we will be back up to full operational capability by the summer as a result of the actions that we are taking. We will not allow the firewall work to go beyond 31 March, the date we originally stated. We will hold to the deadline for that work. The armed forces provide more to society, though, than simply protecting it. They reinforce its strengths and values. Right at the heart of what our armed forces stand for are virtues such as respect, duty, discipline and a firm commitment to ensuring that talent is given the chance that it deserves. Many of us lament these qualities being less obvious in wider society, and it is this that I want to dwell on—the relationship between the armed forces and society, and Government's role and responsibility in that. The armed forces recruit from society and, in doing so, provide a springboard for men and women from all backgrounds, offering them opportunity, training, skills and, most importantly, a sense of belonging and self-respect. My military assistant characterises that as the ordinary man's way of escaping the ordinary. I view it as enabling so many people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, to improve themselves and make their way in life.