Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Harriett Baldwin and Karl McCartney

Monday 7th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

7. What estimate he has made of the increase in defence spending over the course of this Parliament.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Harriett Baldwin)]

This Government put our security first. The spending review confirmed that the Ministry of Defence’s budget will rise by 0.5% above inflation in every year to 2020. We will spend 2% of GDP on defence each year, and the defence budget will rise to almost £40 billion by the end of the decade.

[Karl MᶜCartney]

Sentinel aircraft based at RAF Waddington in my constituency play a vital role in the fight against Daesh, so may I welcome the Department’s announcement of £130 million support contract funding from our growing defence budget? Will the Minister confirm how many jobs that will sustain?

[Harriett Baldwin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the important role played by Sentinel aircraft based in his constituency. The contract is good news for the UK defence industry and it will sustain about 120 jobs at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, and about 40 jobs at Hawarden airfield in Broughton in north Wales.