My hon. Friend is completely right. As I said to the hon. Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas), the prime point was the UN vote, on which the vote in this House was conditional. I agree with my hon. Friend, however; there is an unparliamentary word and I cannot use it,...

My hon. Friend is completely right. As I said to the hon. Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas), the prime point was the UN vote, on which the vote in this House was conditional. I agree with my hon. Friend, however; there is an unparliamentary word and I cannot use it,...

May I help the hon. Lady, who makes a very good point? The people she has been talking to are not paid to think about what is going to happen in future. They are there to do exactly as she describes—get on and get the kit out. All three services...

May I help the hon. Lady, who makes a very good point? The people she has been talking to are not paid to think about what is going to happen in future. They are there to do exactly as she describes—get on and get the kit out. All three services...

My right hon. Friend is doing himself down, because although at the time when he and I were Ministers together we should have had a defence review, it was not possible to have a defence review at the fag end of an existing Government. It had to be conducted by...

My right hon. Friend is doing himself down, because although at the time when he and I were Ministers together we should have had a defence review, it was not possible to have a defence review at the fag end of an existing Government. It had to be conducted by...

I do not agree with my hon. Friend. I have made the point that war among the people is the way that things are going to go. Of course we have to stay on afterwards. We do not need aircraft carriers to have people hanging around—they can hang around on...

I do not agree with my hon. Friend. I have made the point that war among the people is the way that things are going to go. Of course we have to stay on afterwards. We do not need aircraft carriers to have people hanging around—they can hang around on...

It will be one or the other; I am not making a political point. I am sorry to disappoint my hon. Friend. I do not know where the money is coming from. The Government have not worked it out yet, and we have no clue as to where it is...

It will be one or the other; I am not making a political point. I am sorry to disappoint my hon. Friend. I do not know where the money is coming from. The Government have not worked it out yet, and we have no clue as to where it is...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I know that I am not a very good speaker, but I have been doing my best to say that we need carriers, although not of the size that have been ordered. We need carriers such as HMS Ocean; if he has not...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I know that I am not a very good speaker, but I have been doing my best to say that we need carriers, although not of the size that have been ordered. We need carriers such as HMS Ocean; if he has not...

I am in the fortunate position of not being party to the sums, which is a great thing when one is speaking about defence. None of my argument in respect of the carriers is about saving money; it is about having the right kit. The hon. Member for Chorley (Mr....

I am in the fortunate position of not being party to the sums, which is a great thing when one is speaking about defence. None of my argument in respect of the carriers is about saving money; it is about having the right kit. The hon. Member for Chorley (Mr....

I warmly endorse many points that the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) has made. He is a staunch defender of all things defence and knows a good deal about it. Whether he is right about the uniforms, I do not know, but he is certainly right about the Territorial...

I warmly endorse many points that the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) has made. He is a staunch defender of all things defence and knows a good deal about it. Whether he is right about the uniforms, I do not know, but he is certainly right about the Territorial...

The hon. Gentleman always makes a good case for his region, but is he aware that the issue is not just intellectual rights? Thus far the JSF cannot carry the weapons configuration that we want. What has he to say about that?

The hon. Gentleman always makes a good case for his region, but is he aware that the issue is not just intellectual rights? Thus far the JSF cannot carry the weapons configuration that we want. What has he to say about that?

The hon. Lady is only partially right. The delay in ordering kit was nothing to do with a vote in the House, where the Government had a substantial majority and could be assured of getting their way; the decision to delay any ordering of substantial amounts of equipment was based...

The hon. Lady is only partially right. The delay in ordering kit was nothing to do with a vote in the House, where the Government had a substantial majority and could be assured of getting their way; the decision to delay any ordering of substantial amounts of equipment was based...

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it in order for the hon. Gentleman to speak such utter rubbish at the end of an important debate?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it in order for the hon. Gentleman to speak such utter rubbish at the end of an important debate?

The hon. Gentleman has a reputation in the House for perhaps not telling things exactly as they are. I said that I do not think that we should go ahead with the big carriers and that we need to have smaller carriers such as HMS Ocean—probably three or four of...

The hon. Gentleman has a reputation in the House for perhaps not telling things exactly as they are. I said that I do not think that we should go ahead with the big carriers and that we need to have smaller carriers such as HMS Ocean—probably three or four of...

My hon. Friend is partly, but not completely, right. The Germans, for example, bought the Leopard tank instead of the Chieftain because it was said at the time that the Leopard could go backwards faster than the Chieftain could. However, they both had the same gun on them. The hon....

My hon. Friend is partly, but not completely, right. The Germans, for example, bought the Leopard tank instead of the Chieftain because it was said at the time that the Leopard could go backwards faster than the Chieftain could. However, they both had the same gun on them. The hon....

A big improvement.

A big improvement.

I agree with the Minister and accept the point that he is making—procurement is not easy, and many other countries have great difficulties—but there is no need for us to have those great difficulties. American defence procurement is on a scale vastly bigger than ours, vastly more complicated and vastly...

I agree with the Minister and accept the point that he is making—procurement is not easy, and many other countries have great difficulties—but there is no need for us to have those great difficulties. American defence procurement is on a scale vastly bigger than ours, vastly more complicated and vastly...

May I suggest that my hon. Friend consider substantially expanding the courses on business expertise and leadership available to servicemen and women who go into the procurement field? This is such a specialist area, and a corps d’élite of managers with modern, up-to-date capabilities needs to be firmly embedded in...

May I suggest that my hon. Friend consider substantially expanding the courses on business expertise and leadership available to servicemen and women who go into the procurement field? This is such a specialist area, and a corps d’élite of managers with modern, up-to-date capabilities needs to be firmly embedded in...

Debate on a motion for the adjournment on defence policy. (Inc ref to Cm 6041 and HC 465-i 2003/04).

Debate on a motion for the adjournment on defence policy. (Inc ref to Cm 6041 and HC 465-i 2003/04).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what shortcomings were identified in the Oscar strategic communications system procured for use during Operation TELIC; and how much was spent on the system. - Inc figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what shortcomings were identified in the Oscar strategic communications system procured for use during Operation TELIC; and how much was spent on the system. - Inc figures.

Debate (second day) on a motion to approve the Statement on Defence Estimates (Cm 3223). (Includes ref to HC 215). Amendment negatived on division (290-253). Main question agreed on question.

Debate (second day) on a motion to approve the Statement on Defence Estimates (Cm 3223). (Includes ref to HC 215). Amendment negatived on division (290-253). Main question agreed on question.

Debate (first day) on a motion to approve the Statement on the Defence Estimates (Cm 2550). (Includes ref to HC 68, HC 118, HC 511, HC 297 and HC 22, 1993/94).

Debate (first day) on a motion to approve the Statement on the Defence Estimates (Cm 2550). (Includes ref to HC 68, HC 118, HC 511, HC 297 and HC 22, 1993/94).