Oral Answers to Questions

Pauline Latham Excerpts

Monday 13th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sir Michael Fallon]

Let me make it clear to the hon. Lady that we are currently considering the options for the future provision of an effective unarmed guarding service throughout the United Kingdom, which, at the moment, is being provided by a multiplicity of different services. The aim is to achieve maximum value for money to ensure that we can focus resources on military capability, but security remains a priority, and no decisions will be made that would compromise the security of our personnel, our information or our physical assets.

[Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

T5. Can my right hon. Friend recall a time when the deployment of British forces to a NATO ally has not had the support of the whole House?

[Sir Michael Fallon]

This House has a long history of supporting our armed forces as they serve and protect our country and our allies. I am obviously disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition has described this week’s defensive deployments to Estonia and Poland as escalatory, and I hope the shadow Defence Secretary will take this opportunity to condemn those remarks today.