Oral Answers to Questions

Graham P Jones Excerpts

Monday 11th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of his Department’s equipment plan 2017 to 2027.

[Graham P. Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

22. What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of his Department’s equipment plan 2017 to 2027.

--- Later in debate ---

[Guto Bebb]

It gave me great pleasure to be present at RAF Marham on Wednesday to welcome the first four F-35s. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, the first 48 are fully paid for and committed to. We are looking at everything in the modernising defence programme, but the current situation is that we still anticipate the purchase of 138 F-35s.

[Graham P. Jones]

The Public Accounts Committee said in a recent report:

“The Equipment Plan for 2017 to 2027 is not realistic and the Department lacks cost control.”

Does the Secretary of State share my deep concern about his Department’s equipment budget being in such an appalling state?

[Guto Bebb]

I am sure that the Secretary of State shares my view that the Public Accounts Committee does an important job, but it is important to state that the assumptions made in the National Audit Office report, which underpin the report of the Public Accounts Committee, highlight the possibility that every single project will end up with no efficiency savings and that the worst-case scenario will be achieved on cost controls. We are very confident we have an equipment plan that is affordable but, as I have stated, we are looking at all issues as part of the modernising defence programme.

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[Gavin Williamson]

As I touched upon earlier, it is clear that this House has a simple and clear view that we should always do everything we can to protect those who have served our country. We will look at all options to ensure that that is done.

[Graham P. Jones (Hyndburn) (Lab)]

Did the Secretary of State write to the Prime Minister about further deployment of troops in Afghanistan?

[Gavin Williamson]

We always keep our troop levels under review right across the world and this is something that we will always do going forward.