Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Cat Smith

Monday 2nd November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, because I agree with everything he said; that is what we have been doing. We will invest, where we can, in UK equipment. We also sometimes have to balance the urgent operational need of our service personnel: if there is something they need now or in the very short term and we simply do not have the capability to deliver it, we will sometimes have to look where we can to get them the best equipment. There is always a fine balance between making sure our forces have the very best at the very moment and long-term investment. I am determined that we invest both in the people who use our equipment in the MOD and in our industry as far as possible across the board.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

What support his Department is providing to veterans’ charities during the covid-19 outbreak.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Wallace and Cat Smith

Monday 3rd February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Wallace]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. These aircraft carriers are bought and paid for: they have been committed to. One is only on sea trials, and I would urge him to give it a chance—we will finish the sea trials. The aircraft carriers are really important to our strategic reach. We will design them so that we always have one available in a carrier strike group around the world, to be delivered should we need to do so. There are absolutely no plans whatsoever to get rid of them.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

T4. When a service child moves to a new school, it is up to the old school to flag this on the student’s file, otherwise there could be a delay in receiving the service pupil premium. What discussions has the Minister had with the Education Secretary about the guidance provided to schools to ensure that every service child gets the education they deserve?