Defence Budget and Transformation

Jeremy Corbyn Excerpts

Monday 14th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hammond]

I can tell my right hon. Friend that work is in hand. A body within the Department is already sitting and considering issues that need to be brought to the fore and thought through for the next strategic defence review. The five-yearly cycle will allow us to look at the strategic changes during it, while making tactical decisions within the five-year period to manage the budget and the programme.

[Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) (Lab)]

Now that the Secretary of State has finally got round to mentioning Trident, will he please say why he cannot give us some news in his statement on the expenditure of £1 billion on long-lead items for the reconstruction of the Trident system and the missiles that go with it, and why we are still contemplating spending £100 billion on a weapon of mass destruction that does not bring any security to this country, but merely a great deal of expenditure and danger?

[Mr Hammond]

The hon. Gentleman’s views on this subject are very well known, and I do not share them.