Lord Burnett
Main Page: Lord Burnett (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Burnett's debates with the Ministry of Defence
(14 years, 9 months ago)
Lords Chamber Lord Astor of Hever
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Astor of Hever 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, my party was not in government for most of the time with which that report was involved, but I point out that we now have a Permanent Secretary who is proving to be a rigorous accounting officer. She has a very good working relationship with the Secretary of State and the Chief of the Defence Staff and is determined to get on top of the MoD’s financial situation.
 Lord Burnett
    
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Burnett 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, will my noble friend explain to the House the Government’s planned naval amphibious capability?
 Lord Astor of Hever
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Astor of Hever 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, in future, we will be able to land and sustain a Royal Marine commando group of 1,500 to 1,800 personnel from a sea helicopter platform with protective vehicles, but we have reluctantly decided that one of the Bay class ships, the RFA “Largs Bay”, will have to be decommissioned.