Aerospace Industry

Lord West of Spithead Excerpts

Monday 5th December 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I cannot give the noble and gallant Lord the assurance he is seeking, but I can say that we are absolutely aware that the first responsibility when procuring equipment is to provide our Armed Forces with the capabilities they require at a cost that is affordable and represents best value for money for the taxpayer.

[Lord West of Spithead]

My Lords, would the Minister agree that defence spending is perhaps going down around the world in countries that might see the world and the future world order rather in the way we do, but in the countries that do not see it in that way defence spending is actually going up—in some of them quite alarmingly? Would the Minister also agree that the best way for us to build up a very strong defence industry, which, as has been said, is so important in this country, is for us to buy from it and not to buy off the shelf from abroad?

[Lord De Mauley]

The noble Lord makes a fair point, and the Government have their eye very firmly on other regions of the world. It is also worth saying that defence exports are a key issue for this country, so long as they are legitimate.