Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marcus Jones and Peter Luff

Monday 11th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

T2. I welcome the MOD’s recent award of a £350 million contract to maintain the Royal Air Force’s Hercules aircraft, which will sustain 500 UK jobs. Can the Minister say what other steps are being taken to support the UK defence industry?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

Absolutely I can. I too welcome the award of the Hercules integrated operational support contract, which will save the MOD £170 million by replacing several short-term contracts with one overarching contract. It is another example of the policy that we set out in our recent White Paper, with a list of measures to improve the lot of the British defence industry, including a £160 billion equipment programme, strong support for responsible exports, support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector and strong support for the previously declining science and technology budget.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marcus Jones and Peter Luff

Monday 26th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

4. What recent progress his Department has made on co-operation with the government of France on defence equipment; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)]

We have taken significant steps to implement the UK-France defence security co-operation treaty signed in 2010. The recent summit, in February, demonstrated that our bilateral co-operation remains strong and that both nations are committed to delivering the aims of the treaty. The summit declaration set out the areas of co-operation on defence equipment, and we continue to make progress across all the programmes by ensuring that our time lines and requirements are aligned, and in some cases by setting up joint project offices.

[Mr Jones]

I thank the Minister. Can he give the House an assessment of the long-term future of our defence relationship with France, and the outcomes that he sees it delivering both now and in future?

[Peter Luff]

Yes, I can give my hon. Friend a clear reassurance on those points. The politicians, armed services and acquisition communities of both countries understand the importance of the relationship, which I believe will endure for many years because of the benefits it brings in terms of both enhanced capability and lower cost, which are crucial tests for anyone interested in delivering effective equipment for armed forces at a price the taxpayer can afford.