Oral Answers to Questions

John Lamont Excerpts

Monday 10th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Maria Eagle]

I do not recognise any of the figures that have been bandied around in the newspapers; it would not be accurate to take them as anything other than speculation. The disposal shows that we are delivering for defence by divesting ourselves of old capabilities to make way for the future, as the First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key put it. Those ships were effectively mothballed by the previous Government, so I will not take any lessons from Conservative Members on how to deal with these matters.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

3. In which financial year he plans to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.

[Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)]

12. In which financial year he plans to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)]

The Government were elected on a firm commitment to set a path to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. The Prime Minister has said that we will do so in the spring.

[John Lamont]

So that my constituents can better understand the Government’s priorities, which does the Minister think that we will achieve first: a deal to lease Diego Garcia for billions of pounds, or spending 2.5% of GDP on defence?

[John Healey]

Everyone agrees that we must increase defence spending to meet the increasing threats. This Government are delivering for defence by increasing defence spending, and we have already increased defence spending by almost £3 billion next year.