Size of Armed Forces 2023-06-26
2023-06-26
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Recent statements by NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe and a former Chief of the Defence Staff have raised concerns about Britain's military capability.
What steps he is taking to end the hollowing out of the armed forces. I thank the Secretary of State for that response, but only recently the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe said that Britain is “just holding on” to its status as one of NATO's leading members and that our Army is “too small”. A former Chief of the Defence Staff said that all of our armed forces are too small, with the Army having “significant capability deficiencies”. The Government are failing our forces, are they not?
The Government have injected more than £29 billion of additional funding into defence since 2020, investing in Army modernisation, major platforms such as Type 26, Type 31, Challenger 3 and F-35, and restocking of ammunition to ensure that we reversed the hollowing out of our armed forces that has occurred under successive Governments for the past 30 years.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer avoided addressing the specific concerns raised by NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe and a former Chief of the Defence Staff about Britain's military capability.
Hedging Language
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
A member of the Defence Committee highlights growing threats and concerns about NATO's level of defence spending.
Does the Secretary of State agree that the Treasury's argument for increasing Defence spending to 2.5% of GDP when the economics improve is not only naive but illogical, because our economy and our national security are one and the same thing? We need to invest in our Army, Air Force and Navy now, not when Britain's economy improves.
My right hon. Friend makes an important point about levels of Defence spending. First, spend on the Army is 20% higher since I started as Defence Secretary, and I have made sure that a greater proportion of that spend is on catching up and modernising the armed forces, which had been neglected all the way back to Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer provided historical context but did not directly address whether increasing defence spending immediately is necessary.
Hedging Language
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The Defence Secretary admitted in January that his government had “hollowed out and underfunded” the armed forces, with recent statements from senior military figures agreeing.
Will the Defence Secretary halt this hollowing out in his new Defence Command Paper? Will it be published this month, as he has promised?
Time and again the right hon. Gentleman comes to this House knowing full well that my statements on hollowing out are not about this Government but about successive Governments for the past 30 years. Mr Speaker, I ask you to look at that statement, because it verges on misleading the House.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer shifted focus from current government actions to historical context without addressing future commitments or timelines.
Blame Shifting
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Concerns are raised about Britain's position within NATO and the underfunding of armed forces.
Does he not find it a national embarrassment for Britain to go to next month's NATO summit as one of only five NATO nations that has not rebooted defence plans since President Putin invaded Ukraine?
On that quote, I asked if he would admit that Labour had hollowed out during its term of office. How convenient it is to forget that the whole point is that, in the 30 years following the cold war, successive Governments pushed defence to the side and not to the centre.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer focused on past government actions rather than addressing current concerns about Britain's position at NATO.
Blame Shifting
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Questions are raised about the effectiveness of Britain's defence procurement system.
In four years he has failed to halt that hollowing out; he has failed to fix the broken procurement system; he has failed to win fresh funding this year, even to cover inflation; and he has failed to stop service morale reaching record lows. Does he not find it a national embarrassment for Britain to go to next month's NATO summit as one of only five NATO nations that has not rebooted defence plans since President Putin invaded Ukraine?
In 2009 under Labour, 15% of armed forces projects were over cost and the average delay was 28%. Now, 4% are over cost and 15% of each project is delayed. We cut the bureaucracy in Defence Equipment and Support from over 27,000 to 11,400. That is value for money.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer provided historical context but did not address current procurement failures or service morale issues.
Hedging Language
Response accuracy