Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts
Wednesday 13th September 2023

(1 year, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rishi Sunak Portrait The Prime Minister
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As my hon. Friend knows, some of the topics he raises will be commercial matters for the company, but I do know that this is a concerning time for workers at Wilko. My right hon. Friend the Business Secretary is keeping close to developments and we have already started supporting those who have been made redundant, and we stand ready to support others to the fullest of our abilities.

Lilian Greenwood Portrait Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)
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The head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, has said that the UK must

“forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle”.

So why are the Government still pushing ahead with further cuts, of 10,000 troops, to the British Army?

Rishi Sunak Portrait The Prime Minister
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Again, this is the Government who have put a record amount into our armed forces: £24 billion. We remain the second largest investor in our defence in NATO. As we saw at the NATO summit, other countries look to us for leadership. How the armed forces allocate that record funding is a matter for the chiefs, to make sure that we have the capabilities we need to meet the threats of today. That is a decision that they will make and we will back them, but no one can doubt our commitment to funding properly the armed forces and ensuring that we keep this country safe.