Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen McPartland Excerpts
Monday 23rd April 2018

(6 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Gavin Williamson Portrait Gavin Williamson
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Our armed forces are looking closely at everything we have committed towards investing in. With a changing threat environment, we are looking at how we can do things more efficiently, at how we can make our money go further and at what we will need to deal with those increasing threats. I am confident that we can put a strong argument to the whole of Government on the importance of defence to our nation’s security.

Stephen McPartland Portrait Stephen McPartland (Stevenage) (Con)
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10. What plans he has to use membership of the armed forces to promote social mobility.

Tobias Ellwood Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Tobias Ellwood)
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The armed forces aim to attract talent from the widest possible base from across the UK. The skills, education, training and experience, as well as enhanced reverence for our country, enable recruits to progress as far as their aptitude will take them, regardless of their socio-economic background, educational status or ethnicity.

Stephen McPartland Portrait Stephen McPartland
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We know that in many of our cities at the moment young people feel trapped and that their only life choice is which gang to join. Will my right hon. Friend explain what the armed forces will do to help reach into those communities and help those young people transform their life chances?