I thank the hon. Gentleman—that was very helpful. The cost of the three Astute class submarines has risen from £2.5 billion to £3.8 billion, and the Type 45 destroyers are costing £1 billion each—£1.5 billion over budget in total—and are two years late. There has been a whole plethora of...

I thank the hon. Gentleman—that was very helpful. The cost of the three Astute class submarines has risen from £2.5 billion to £3.8 billion, and the Type 45 destroyers are costing £1 billion each—£1.5 billion over budget in total—and are two years late. There has been a whole plethora of...

I have answered the second question, and the hon. Lady knows the answer to the first—we have been over it before. The skills base would not have been affected if we had made the decision at the beginning. We did not need to make all the decisions then, and the...

I have answered the second question, and the hon. Lady knows the answer to the first—we have been over it before. The skills base would not have been affected if we had made the decision at the beginning. We did not need to make all the decisions then, and the...

These are excellent questions, and I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will pose them to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell), who is sitting behind me and who is carrying out a review on this important matter, which must be considered...

These are excellent questions, and I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will pose them to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell), who is sitting behind me and who is carrying out a review on this important matter, which must be considered...

The hon. Gentleman makes a valuable contribution, but I am afraid the response is rather piecemeal across the country. Some work has shown that not all health boards and health authorities are responding in the same way. Among GPs, awareness of veterans care is not as it should be. I...

The hon. Gentleman makes a valuable contribution, but I am afraid the response is rather piecemeal across the country. Some work has shown that not all health boards and health authorities are responding in the same way. Among GPs, awareness of veterans care is not as it should be. I...

We underestimate the contribution that the ministry makes to general health care in the military and to the social well-being of individuals who are in hospital. We should recognise and praise that. We sometimes dismiss things that have been there for some time; we take them for granted, and we...

We underestimate the contribution that the ministry makes to general health care in the military and to the social well-being of individuals who are in hospital. We should recognise and praise that. We sometimes dismiss things that have been there for some time; we take them for granted, and we...

We have made considerable progress with the Eurofighter contract, but we are referring to tranche 3, as the hon. Gentleman knows full well, because I am sure that he has studied these matters. The MOD spent £259 million buying eight Chinook Mk 3 helicopters for the Special Air Service, but...

We have made considerable progress with the Eurofighter contract, but we are referring to tranche 3, as the hon. Gentleman knows full well, because I am sure that he has studied these matters. The MOD spent £259 million buying eight Chinook Mk 3 helicopters for the Special Air Service, but...

The hon. Gentleman is paying attention. The Government committed back in 1998 to construct the aircraft carriers, but the deal was signed only in 2008. Embarrassingly, only months later the project was delayed by another two years, costing the taxpayer an additional £1 billion. The hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr....

The hon. Gentleman is paying attention. The Government committed back in 1998 to construct the aircraft carriers, but the deal was signed only in 2008. Embarrassingly, only months later the project was delayed by another two years, costing the taxpayer an additional £1 billion. The hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr....

I share in the tributes made on both sides of the House to those who have fallen during the past week. The pain and anxiety felt by their families and friends at this time is unimaginable, and it cannot adequately be addressed by a few words in the Chamber. That...

I share in the tributes made on both sides of the House to those who have fallen during the past week. The pain and anxiety felt by their families and friends at this time is unimaginable, and it cannot adequately be addressed by a few words in the Chamber. That...

The hon. Gentleman probably knows the answer to that question.

The hon. Gentleman probably knows the answer to that question.

The hon. Lady makes a sensible point. If the company had a conscience about these matters, it would repay a contribution. The state of some of the accommodation leaves a lot to be desired, and a contribution would be appropriate, as she suggests. I shall move to a slightly more...

The hon. Lady makes a sensible point. If the company had a conscience about these matters, it would repay a contribution. The state of some of the accommodation leaves a lot to be desired, and a contribution would be appropriate, as she suggests. I shall move to a slightly more...

Wait, because the Conservative spokesman, the hon. Member for Woodspring, has said:""The only thing you can predict with any certainty is that we will not be good at predicting the future."" In short, Labour and the Conservatives will never, ever disarm. With their words, they dismiss the treaty. The inability...

Wait, because the Conservative spokesman, the hon. Member for Woodspring, has said:""The only thing you can predict with any certainty is that we will not be good at predicting the future."" In short, Labour and the Conservatives will never, ever disarm. With their words, they dismiss the treaty. The inability...

Not yet; the hon. Gentleman will get his chance. The Defence Secretary recently said:""But we have got to balance that against the uncertain world that we face. The threat changes. If one looks back, its changed hugely over time and no-one can be certain that that won't happen again.""

Not yet; the hon. Gentleman will get his chance. The Defence Secretary recently said:""But we have got to balance that against the uncertain world that we face. The threat changes. If one looks back, its changed hugely over time and no-one can be certain that that won't happen again.""

I had not mentioned that, because I did not want to steal my right hon. and learned Friend's thunder. He is right that we should consider a whole range of matters, and I will read his report with interest when it comes out. It will be a great contribution to...

I had not mentioned that, because I did not want to steal my right hon. and learned Friend's thunder. He is right that we should consider a whole range of matters, and I will read his report with interest when it comes out. It will be a great contribution to...

That is the cold war mentality—it has never moved on. There is always an idea that because we cannot predict the future, nothing must happen. That is a pessimistic view of the world, and the Conservative Front Benchers have absolutely no hope on these issues. Moving on to Iraq, surely...

That is the cold war mentality—it has never moved on. There is always an idea that because we cannot predict the future, nothing must happen. That is a pessimistic view of the world, and the Conservative Front Benchers have absolutely no hope on these issues. Moving on to Iraq, surely...

I am relieved to hear what my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) said, because I have not spoken to him since his visit. That shows the Conservatives' position on the matter—they are not committed to the aircraft carriers. Revealingly, however, the Defence Secretary also refused to...

I am relieved to hear what my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) said, because I have not spoken to him since his visit. That shows the Conservatives' position on the matter—they are not committed to the aircraft carriers. Revealingly, however, the Defence Secretary also refused to...

The hon. Gentleman was a wee bit slow to intervene.

The hon. Gentleman was a wee bit slow to intervene.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which of his Department's bases in the UK weapons were reported as having been (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last 12 years; and how many and what type of weapon was involved in each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which of his Department's bases in the UK weapons were reported as having been (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last 12 years; and how many and what type of weapon was involved in each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment over the value of £100,000 his Department has authorised the armed forces to gift to other nations in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment over the value of £100,000 his Department has authorised the armed forces to gift to other nations in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many weapons for which his Department has responsibility have been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last 12 years;

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many weapons for which his Department has responsibility have been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last 12 years;

(2) how many armed forces weapons were recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen in 2008.

(2) how many armed forces weapons were recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen in 2008.