Armed Forces: Redundancies

Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Lord Astor of Hever

Thursday 20th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, I have done this on numerous occasions, and not always in a gentle fashion.

[Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall]

Would the noble Lord be kind enough to return to the Question he was originally asked by my noble friend Lord Touhig and address the recruitment campaign? I do not think I heard him answer the implied question. Why are we still recruiting when we are making redundancies?

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, even while reducing in size, the army must continue to recruit new talent to replace those who are promoted. It needs to develop its own leaders. It cannot bring in people from outside to leadership roles without the necessary military experience.

RAF Northolt: Commercial Flights

Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Lord Astor of Hever

Tuesday 26th April 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, that would all be covered in the Department for Transport’s new aviation policy framework, which would look right the way across the board.

[Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall]

My Lords, since it appears to have fallen to the noble Lord to answer questions on aviation, which I do not think is his normal brief, would he be kind enough to convey to his colleagues in the Department for Transport that, as welcome as the Government’s current position on airport expansion is, for communities where there are airports it is none the less extremely difficult to live with continuing uncertainty? Every time a decision is taken and the question is then raised of whether it might be overturned, it creates a new kind of blight in each of those communities. Perhaps he would convey that to his colleagues.

[Lord Astor of Hever]

My Lords, I am answering this Question because RAF Northolt is primarily a defence institution. However, I will of course pass on the noble Baroness’s point to the Department for Transport.