Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts
Monday 17th June 2013

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrew Murrison Portrait Dr Murrison
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Clearly we cannot ignore the economic situation, because it poses a clear and present danger to this country and others. I think that it means that we will have to renew our efforts with our friends and allies to ensure that they, too, spend significant sums of money on defence, but I should emphasise that the US is quite clear about its continuing commitment to Europe and the MENA region, and I think we should take some comfort from that.

Russell Brown Portrait Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)
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NATO’s defence capability includes the protection of the nuclear umbrella. Does the Minister find it incongruous in respect of NATO membership to have, on the one hand, a policy of unilateral disarmament and, on the other, to seek the protection of that nuclear umbrella? That is the policy of the SNP.

Andrew Murrison Portrait Dr Murrison
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It is always nice to find common ground with the hon. Gentleman and the Labour party. On this subject, we are in violent agreement.