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Ministry of Defence: Future Capabilities

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (John Reid) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Future Capabilities Command Paper published in July 2004 sets out the Ministry of Defence's proposals for modernising the force structure and capabilities of the Armed Forces to ensure that they are able to meet the   security challenges of the 21st century. I am today publishing the Government's formal response to a report by the previous Defence Select Committee on the Future Capabilities proposals, issued in March 2005. Copies of the response will be placed in the Library of the House. The Ministry of Defence welcomes the report and the committee's support for our programme of modernisation. The Ministry of Defence's response provides detailed answers to all of the report's specific conclusions and recommendations. Our emphasis as we implement the future capabilities proposals across the department continues to be on enhancing the flexibility, resilience and capabilities of the Armed Forces in order that they are well prepared to face up to the most likely operational demands of the future.