Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Creagh Excerpts

Monday 23rd October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I note that the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat) appears to be powered by wires. If he is subject to some sort of exterior propulsion, he may be setting a precedent for Chairs of Select Committees. We are very grateful to the hon. Gentleman, I feel sure—his attire will be closely followed in the future.

[Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab)]

3. What progress he is making on meeting the targets for 2020 set out in the SDSR 2015.

[Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op)]

17. What progress he is making on meeting the targets for 2020 set out in the SDSR 2015.

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster)]

Since SDSR 2015, we have cut steel on the first Type 26 and signed the contract to buy new Apache helicopters. We are on track to deliver by the end of 2020: initial operating capability for carrier strike; maritime patrol aircraft; and to field Ajax. We have launched our innovation initiative, and published both our shipbuilding and our international defence engagement strategies.

[Mary Creagh]

HMS Bulwark helped to evacuate 1,300 British citizens from Lebanon during the 2006 crisis. Given the Foreign Office’s recent problems evacuating citizens caught up in Hurricane Irma, will the Minister argue for his Department or the Department for International Development to lead on future evacuations? Will he guarantee today that the Government will maintain the fleet’s littoral capacity, which is currently provided by HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion?

[Mark Lancaster]

One of this Government’s strengths is in how we successfully work together between Departments. We saw the comprehensive approach working very effectively during recent weeks in the cross-Government response to Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean. That is exactly the approach we should be taking.