Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have sustained (a) damage to, (b) partial loss and (c) total loss of (i) upper and (ii) lower limbs in (A) Afghanistan and (B) Iraq in each of the last 36 months; what proportion of...

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have sustained (a) damage to, (b) partial loss and (c) total loss of (i) upper and (ii) lower limbs in (A) Afghanistan and (B) Iraq in each of the last 36 months; what proportion of...

I said that.

I said that.

I will not give way; I do not have time. I think that the three hon. Gentlemen on the Conservative Front Bench argue their point of view quite sincerely, because all three are strong advocates of the armed forces and supporters of the defence sector, but they will come up...

I will not give way; I do not have time. I think that the three hon. Gentlemen on the Conservative Front Bench argue their point of view quite sincerely, because all three are strong advocates of the armed forces and supporters of the defence sector, but they will come up...

As usual, the debate has been wide ranging. The contributions were not only well informed but covered interesting subjects. Today, on the Conservative Front Bench we saw the neo-cons versus the Cameroons. The hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) is a strong advocate for the nuclear deterrent—I would...

As usual, the debate has been wide ranging. The contributions were not only well informed but covered interesting subjects. Today, on the Conservative Front Bench we saw the neo-cons versus the Cameroons. The hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) is a strong advocate for the nuclear deterrent—I would...

I will not. The hon. Member for Woodspring touched on the subject of mental health, which was also mentioned by the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey). The hon. Member for Woodspring asked whether the issue was at the centre of the Ministry of Defence's concerns. I am determined...

I will not. The hon. Member for Woodspring touched on the subject of mental health, which was also mentioned by the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey). The hon. Member for Woodspring asked whether the issue was at the centre of the Ministry of Defence's concerns. I am determined...

I am sorry, but I will not. The hon. Member for Woodspring raised the issue of decompression. Every time I have been to theatre, I have asked about the issue. I was in Afghanistan a few weeks ago and asked again whether the decompression period was long enough. It is...

I am sorry, but I will not. The hon. Member for Woodspring raised the issue of decompression. Every time I have been to theatre, I have asked about the issue. I was in Afghanistan a few weeks ago and asked again whether the decompression period was long enough. It is...

I am surprised by what the hon. Lady is saying, because I know that, like me, she is something of an armoured-vehicle anorak. She is aware of the range of vehicles currently in operation in Afghanistan that the Government provided—indeed, during our last debate she congratulated the Government on them....

I am surprised by what the hon. Lady is saying, because I know that, like me, she is something of an armoured-vehicle anorak. She is aware of the range of vehicles currently in operation in Afghanistan that the Government provided—indeed, during our last debate she congratulated the Government on them....

The hon. Lady's point was that the vehicles were being used in convoys, and that that is not the purpose for which they were designed. I was in Afghanistan three weeks ago and saw convoys crossing deserts, wadis and other difficult terrain. It is simply not the case that these...

The hon. Lady's point was that the vehicles were being used in convoys, and that that is not the purpose for which they were designed. I was in Afghanistan three weeks ago and saw convoys crossing deserts, wadis and other difficult terrain. It is simply not the case that these...

The hon. Lady misunderstands the nature of the convoys that take place in Helmand province. They go over not tracked and tarmacked roads, but wadis, deserts and difficult terrain, which is the function that the vehicle is designed to carry out.

The hon. Lady misunderstands the nature of the convoys that take place in Helmand province. They go over not tracked and tarmacked roads, but wadis, deserts and difficult terrain, which is the function that the vehicle is designed to carry out.

I recognise the problem of PTSD, but does the hon. Gentleman not recognise that the number of people involved is small? It is higher among those deployed, as we would expect, but the important thing is to ensure that we do not confuse the broader issue of the mental health...

I recognise the problem of PTSD, but does the hon. Gentleman not recognise that the number of people involved is small? It is higher among those deployed, as we would expect, but the important thing is to ensure that we do not confuse the broader issue of the mental health...

Debate to consider the matter of defence in the UK.

Debate to consider the matter of defence in the UK.

Is the hon. Gentleman saying that if he were the Secretary of State for Defence he would not support the deployment in the Balkans at this time, or is he just sniping as usual at the Government to perpetuate the myth of overstretch?

Is the hon. Gentleman saying that if he were the Secretary of State for Defence he would not support the deployment in the Balkans at this time, or is he just sniping as usual at the Government to perpetuate the myth of overstretch?

May I inform my hon. Friend that this is not the first time that the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) has raised the issue? He raised it on 1 May in a visit to Plymouth when he spoke at length on what he bored us with this afternoon. It...

May I inform my hon. Friend that this is not the first time that the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) has raised the issue? He raised it on 1 May in a visit to Plymouth when he spoke at length on what he bored us with this afternoon. It...

Will the right hon. Gentleman also pay tribute to the men and women of the armed forces, including the Dutch and Danish forces and others, who have fought alongside British troops in Afghanistan and have lost their lives? In some cases, because of the numbers of troops that they have...

Will the right hon. Gentleman also pay tribute to the men and women of the armed forces, including the Dutch and Danish forces and others, who have fought alongside British troops in Afghanistan and have lost their lives? In some cases, because of the numbers of troops that they have...

Those points were raised, but there was no criticism of the actual changes. The hon. Gentleman sat on the Committee with me, and I tabled an amendment to extend pension benefits to unmarried partners, who did not have any automatic entitlement. He should remember that he opposed that amendment, so...

Those points were raised, but there was no criticism of the actual changes. The hon. Gentleman sat on the Committee with me, and I tabled an amendment to extend pension benefits to unmarried partners, who did not have any automatic entitlement. He should remember that he opposed that amendment, so...

The report deals with that issue. We recognised what the Government had done to help with combat stress and I pushed hard to ensure that we could monitor people throughout their lives. It is no good letting people leave the armed forces and be forgotten by the system. One recommendation—there...

The report deals with that issue. We recognised what the Government had done to help with combat stress and I pushed hard to ensure that we could monitor people throughout their lives. It is no good letting people leave the armed forces and be forgotten by the system. One recommendation—there...

As the hon. Gentleman says, when we took evidence in the Scottish Parliament we were shocked by the arrogance and how ill-informed the contributions were. I hoped that our report, which is quite critical of that, would go some way to put it right. If it has not, I am...

As the hon. Gentleman says, when we took evidence in the Scottish Parliament we were shocked by the arrogance and how ill-informed the contributions were. I hoped that our report, which is quite critical of that, would go some way to put it right. If it has not, I am...

May I, first, apologise to you and the House, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for not being present for the beginning of the Secretary of State's speech? I was with other hon. Members at the funeral of Gwyneth Dunwoody. It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key),...

May I, first, apologise to you and the House, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for not being present for the beginning of the Secretary of State's speech? I was with other hon. Members at the funeral of Gwyneth Dunwoody. It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key),...

I am not sure that our armed forces abroad welcome visits by all journalists, but every time I have visited them, I have always felt welcome. People sometimes ask, ““Are they forthright in their views?”” and I have to say that they are. I pay tribute to the work that...

I am not sure that our armed forces abroad welcome visits by all journalists, but every time I have visited them, I have always felt welcome. People sometimes ask, ““Are they forthright in their views?”” and I have to say that they are. I pay tribute to the work that...

Would it not also help if the Chinooks, which the last Tory Government procured, could actually fly?

Would it not also help if the Chinooks, which the last Tory Government procured, could actually fly?