Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hoare Excerpts

Monday 30th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Chris Davies (Brecon and Radnorshire) (Con)]

8. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending target.

[Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)]

13. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending target.

[Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Con)]

18. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on NATO’s 2% GDP spending target.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Michael Fallon]

There is no agreement in the EU on the proposal for an EU army. We continue to make clear that nothing should undermine NATO, which remains the cornerstone of European defence, and we continue to press for closer co-operation between the EU and NATO. It is a fact, however, that 18 of the 22 EU members of NATO do not spend 2% of their GDP, and have much more to do to enable NATO to face the threats that confront it.

[Simon Hoare]

The Prime Minister played a blinder last week with the President of the United States in stiffening his sinews with regard to NATO, but President Trump’s vacillation in that regard over the last few weeks clearly exposes a weakness in NATO in respect of the many countries which do not pay that 2%. May I urge my right hon. Friend to make every effort that he can to ensure that those countries understand that we cannot always rely on the United States of America?

[Sir Michael Fallon]

There we agree with President Trump. Since making the defence investment pledge, the majority of allies have increased their spending in real terms, but it is still too low: 19 of the NATO 28 spend less than 1.5%, and five NATO members—by no means the poorest—do not even spend 1%. We will continue, with the United States, to encourage all allies to meet those spending commitments.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mike Penning)]

We need to be careful, because comments like that undermine the morale of our armed forces. Let us have some facts. On 1 December 2016, the fully trained strength of our regular forces was 143,680, of whom 29,400 were in the Royal Navy; 83,360 were in the Army; and 30,870 were in the Air Force. We have more work to do on retention and recruitment, but those sorts of comments are not helpful to our armed forces.

[Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)]

T5. Last week, we debated the difficulty and challenge of recruiting new prison officers. May I urge the Ministry of Defence to use its good offices to point personnel who leave the services of their own volition in the direction of the Prison Service? There seems to be a synergy between the two, with the skills and expertise of those in the services much valued by the Prison Service.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mark Lancaster)]

Our service leavers have many transferrable skills, and I am pleased to say that the Ministry of Defence is working with the National Offender Management Service to encourage service leavers to join the Prison Service as part of the Government’s recruitment of 2,500 new prison officers.