Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liam Fox and Eric Ollerenshaw

Monday 13th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

10. What recent progress his Department has made on the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Liam Fox)]

We are in the final stages of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The Department has concluded its detailed policy and capability studies and concluded the force testing process. No decisions have yet been taken by the National Security Council.

[Eric Ollerenshaw]

I wish my right hon. Friend well in dealing with the numerous problems left by the previous Government. Does he agree that, despite the need for greater co-operation with our allies on procurement and acquisition, we still need to maintain our own world-beating design and manufacturing base if we are to have true operational sovereignty?

[Dr Fox]

It is vital for the UK clearly to identify our sovereign capability requirements and to pursue them rigorously. That is why we will publish a consultation document later in the year, asking for full consultation on the process to ensure that we have the industrial capability, skills base and regulatory framework to ensure that what my hon. Friend has outlined is made possible.