Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Ben Spencer

Monday 2nd November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

All I can say at this moment in time is that we are engaging with potential bidders, and we will ensure that we build a ship that is the best of British but also incorporates the best capabilities that we can deliver for the money and for our armed forces.

[Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)]

Can my right hon. Friend outline what support the military is providing to increase NHS bed capacity and what plans there are to extend that?

[Mr Wallace]

At the beginning of the covid outbreak, the military were deeply engaged in the roll-out, building and running of the covid Nightingale hospitals, including the transfer of reserve medics from the NHS into that service. We will continue to review that. We are working inside the Department of Health and Social Care to see what its needs are, and I stand by to deliver them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Ben Spencer

Monday 6th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

The hon. Member asks a logical and proper question. I can assure him that we will not abandon one threat to meet another. We work incredibly hard with our Scandinavian and Nordic colleagues—some in NATO, some not—through the joint expeditionary force. We regularly plan, and NATO itself acts, in that area. Only recently a US and UK naval flotilla went into the Barents sea—the first time for many years—to ensure that we dealt with the growing threat from that side of the Russian flank.

[Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)]

What steps Defence Science and Technology is taking to help tackle the covid-19 outbreak.