Ministerial statement on Tuesday, 15 December 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Bob Ainsworth.

Future Defence Programme

Statement on the future defence programme.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 502 c801-17
Session: 2009-10
Department: Ministry of Defence
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Armed Forces: Training
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Armed Forces: Training
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Military Aircraft: Helicopters
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Air Force
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Nimrod Aircraft
Monday, 1 February 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Nimrod Aircraft
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Armed Forces Equipment
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Written statements
House of Commons; Armed Forces Equipment
Monday, 29 March 2010
Written statements
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Bob Ainsworth | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) Of course, I will bear in mind the points made by the hon. Gentleman and the hon. Member for Woodspr...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) First, carriers are a very important capability that we remain committed to. With regard to the ongo...; Hugh Robertson | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) It is a central tenet of military life that time spent in training saves lives on operations, even i...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) I am looking to maintain all the training necessary, if at all possible. That includes both pre-depl...; Mike Hancock | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) When will the Secretary of State be in a position to make a statement to the House about the future ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) I do not know about "continuous" delays to the carrier programme. As the hon. Gentleman knows and as...; Lord Swire | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) As recently as 28 October, the Secretary of State came to the House under considerable pressure and ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) There are no cuts to the TA in the package announced today.; Lord Cormack | 502 c814 (Link to this contribution) Will the Secretary of State think again about withdrawing the minehunter from the Gulf? Does he reme...; John Robertson | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) On behalf of the 2,000-plus workers at the Scotstoun yard in my constituency, may I thank my right h...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) The close combat support package needed for our operations in Afghanistan is already in place and be...; Bernard Jenkin | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) The Secretary of State deserves respect for taking some very tough decisions that his predecessors s...; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) The counties of Rutland and Leicestershire will be alarmed at the proposed closure of RAF Cottesmore...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) We will be consulting them through the chain of command, and helping them in any and every way that ...; Christopher Fraser | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) Given that the Tornado force is being reduced, RAF Marham in my constituency will be affected. The S...; David Hamilton | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) A few moments ago, my right hon. Friend said to my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshi...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) I am prepared to talk to my hon. Friends and other hon. Members at any time, and I had some discussi...; Angus Robertson | 502 c812-3 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Secretary of State for the advance copy of his statement. He will know that Government s...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c813 (Link to this contribution) All I would say to the hon. Gentleman is that if the policies of his party were pursued, short of hi...; Lord Benyon | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) Will the Secretary of State now answer the question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Woodspring ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) We have no plans for a tracked version of Mastiff. The hon. Lady will know that we have almost doubl...; Ann Winterton | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) Will the new vehicles being deployed to Afghanistan include tracked versions of the Mastiff family o...; Speaker | 502 c817 (Link to this contribution) I thank all right hon. and hon. Members and congratulate them on their co-operation, because 38 Back...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c817 (Link to this contribution) When we commit ourselves to providing increased helicopter lift, we are not committing ourselves jus...; Peter Bone | 502 c817 (Link to this contribution) The Secretary of State's announcement of 22 additional Chinooks will be very welcome, and it gives t...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c817 (Link to this contribution) We will seek to do that, and that is in marked contrast to some of the comments made by the hon. Mem...; Tony Baldry | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) MOD civilian staff give loyal and long service, which is not always very well paid, in places such a...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) The situation in 2004 was very different from the situation today. If the hon. Gentleman recalls, ou...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) The details are still being worked on, but I find it hard to square the hon. Gentleman's allegation ...; Crispin Blunt | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) The need for this statement and the shambles around the TA statement in October are signs that the m...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) I am told that we can get more out of them. Of course, if we have a greater proportion of them fully...; James Gray | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) My constituents at RAF Lyneham will no doubt welcome the extra defensive aids suites for their C-130...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) The sea rescue capability can be provided, as it has been in the past, by platforms other than the N...; Philip Hollobone | 502 c816 (Link to this contribution) Given the Secretary of State's answer to an earlier question, how exactly are the Merlin and Hercule...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) We continue to deploy the Merlin fleet and I believe that there are now five or six Merlin in theatr...; Gregory Campbell | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Secretary of State for an advance copy of his statement. He describes helicopters and th...; Lord Robathan | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) Nobody is fooled. This announcement is about very serious and possibly savage cuts in our overall de...; Robert Key | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) What plans does the Secretary of State have to explain to the British people and to his colleagues i...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) The Chinook is far, far from a vulnerable aircraft. Those two will be replaced, and the replacements...; Paul Flynn | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) In August two lightly damaged Chinooks—one of them damaged by small arms fire—were destroyed by our ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) There is some £3.5 billion from the Treasury reserve this year—the figure has gone up from £700-odd ...; David Laws | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) The Secretary of State will be aware that the chief of defence materials told the Defence Committee ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) We have to try to maintain oceanic survey capability to the maximum degree that we can, but we have ...; Andrew Miller | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) The whole country will agree that my right hon. Friend has taken the right decision in focusing enti...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) The principal vehicle for doing that is the Green Paper that we will publish in the new year, which ...; Jeremy Corbyn | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) Will the Secretary of State explain why the statement did not include anything about Britain's nucle...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) The answer to that is: I do not believe that it would be a good idea to make such an announcement, b...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) It has not taken so long, and the hon. Gentleman knows that we have made repeated announcements of c...; Keith Simpson | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) Most of the capabilities that the Secretary of State has today announced will be sent to Afghanistan...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) I have said that I would not rule out in principle such an option, but in the circumstances in which...; Jim Sheridan | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) There is an overwhelmingly responsibility on any British Government to protect and support British m...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) Look, difficult decisions have to be taken in order to prioritise the equipment programme. I heard a...; Gary Streeter | 502 c811 (Link to this contribution) The Secretary of State mentioned the cost growth in equipment programmes, and we understand from thi...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend needs to look at the White Paper, because the possibility of going down from four boa...; Gordon Prentice | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) My friend said a few moments ago that Government policy on Trident had not changed since 2006, but t...; Lord Campbell of Pittenweem | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) Does the Secretary of State understand that many of us believe that he is a victim of the serious mi...; David Lidington | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) Will the Secretary of State confirm that the number of RAF recruits going through basic training at ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) Our recruitment to all our armed forces has been very effective in the last couple of years, to the ...; Linda Gilroy | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) This time last year, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Alison Seabeck) and I had ju...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) Absolutely. I have had, as my hon. Friend will have had, repeated requests from troops. We know that...; Viscount Hailsham | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) Does the right hon. Gentleman understand that, while the deployment of the 22 Chinooks in Afghanista...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) As I have said to the right hon. and learned Gentleman, he stands as a member of a party that suppor...; Eric Joyce | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) I welcome the measures announced by my right hon. Friend, but does he not think that it is time to r...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) The Government's position on the nuclear deterrent is clear. We consulted widely on the White Paper ...; David Crausby | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) Can my right hon. Friend be absolutely confident that there will be no capability gap between our ex...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c809 (Link to this contribution) I know why my hon. Friend asks that question. A statement was made in his Committee this morning. Th...; Speaker | 502 c806-7 (Link to this contribution) Order. Thirty-two hon. and right hon. Members are seeking to catch my eye. As the House knows, there...; Alison Seabeck | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) I listened to my right hon. Friend's statement with interest, and I require reassurance on two quick...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) The detail of my proposals has to be worked through, but I will talk to my hon. Friend and any other...; Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) Several of the announcements will be very welcome—not least the wonderful announcement on Chinook, w...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) We will prioritise the training that is required for current operations. As the right hon. Gentleman...; Ian Davidson | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) Will the Secretary of State confirm that the Government intend to continue building two aircraft car...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c807 (Link to this contribution) We are committed to the carriers. Nothing that I have said today affects the carrier programme in an...; Malcolm Rifkind | 502 c807-8 (Link to this contribution) Does the Secretary of State begin to understand the very dangerous precedent that he has created by ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c808 (Link to this contribution) It is right and proper—and the principle remains in place—that the additional costs of our operation...; Nick Harvey | 502 c806 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Defence Secretary for his statement and for advance sight of it. Nobody will argue again...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c801-4 (Link to this contribution) Statement. I am announcing today changes to the defence programme, which will enhance the support to...; Liam Fox | 502 c804-5 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his statement and for prior sight of it, although we rea...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c815 (Link to this contribution) There has been a 10 per cent. real-terms increase in the core defence budget since 1997 supplemented...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c810 (Link to this contribution) I would not turn my back on that option in principle, but, on the costs and the time frame, I do not...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c805-6 (Link to this contribution) I did explain to the hon. Gentleman—he knows the true facts—that no cuts in our budget are proposed ...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c812 (Link to this contribution) We will obviously have to look at that. The operation at Marham is particularly impressive—I have be...; Bob Ainsworth | 502 c806 (Link to this contribution) As I said in my statement, 10 of the 22 Chinooks will become available in the financial year 2012-13...
Subjects: Armed forces Defence Army Closures Civilians Defence equipment Armoured fighting vehicles Finance Peacekeeping operations Procurement Staff Radio Military aircraft Ministry of Defence Training Warships Afghanistan Body armour Chinook helicopters Harrier aircraft Typhoon aircraft BOWMAN combat radio system Hercules aircraft Lynx helicopters Military intelligence Merlin helicopters Nimrod aircraft Tornado aircraft Special forces Improvised explosive devices C-17 aircraft Unmanned air systems RAF Kinloss RAF Cottesmore RAF Wittering
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Future Defence Programme

Secondary information

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