Defence Budget

Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Dannatt (CB)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Earl Attlee (Con)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

Order. I am sorry to have to get to my feet, but if we are taking it in turns, it is the turn of the Labour Benches.

[Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke]

Will the Minister say what assessment has been made in the Ministry of Defence of the costs of the total realignment of our defence capability should we lose the collective security of NATO as a consequence of losing our Trident nuclear deterrent?

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, I assume that someone is working on those figures. The Government do not gamble with Britain’s national security. The primary responsibility of Government is the defence of the UK and its citizens. We cannot rule out a future nuclear threat to the UK, and therefore need a credible nuclear capability. Maintaining continuous at-sea deterrence is the best way to deter the most extreme threat to the UK. To clarify my answer to the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, the 1% is not on the defence budget—it is on the equipment spend within the defence budget.