Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Monday 6 July 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Theresa Villiers questioned the Secretary of State about ensuring cyber-security is a priority in the integrated defence review.
  • John Healey acknowledged the military's role during the covid crisis and inquired about the review's lessons from the pandemic.
  • Margaret Ferrier inquired about steps the MOD is taking to restore public trust after financial mismanagement involving nearly 9 million.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Theresa Villiers Con Chippenham
Defence
Context

Inquires about the Defence Secretary's plans regarding cyber security in light of recent activities by countries like Russia and Iran.

Question

Given the worrying cyber-activities of Governments such as those of Russia and Iran, will the Secretary of State ensure that cyber-security is at the heart of the forthcoming integrated defence review?

Answer from Ben Wallace (The Minister for Defence Procurement)

Absolutely. If I think back to the days when I was at Sandhurst, in defence, there were really three domains: air, sea and land. Cyber is very much a real and new domain that we must not only defend in, but master. That is why in 2016, the Government committed £1.9 billion to the national cyber-security strategy. That includes investment in offensive cyber, which I hope we can announce more details of later in the year.

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Q2 John Healey Lab Wentworth and Dearne
Defence
Context

Questions the Secretary of State about his plans for engaging with various stakeholders to inform the integrated defence review.

Question

May I join the Secretary of State in paying full tribute to the military's essential and continuing role in helping the country through this covid crisis? In the same spirit, he talked earlier of the lessons from covid for the integrated review. He is uniquely placed as the Defence Secretary and a former Security Minister to turn adversary into advantage, so will he use this period to consult widely in the armed forces and with the public, industry and experts, just as Labour did, on the challenges to creating a 21st-century armed forces? That is the way to banish any suspicion that this integrated review is driven from Downing Street, not by the MOD, or driven by financial pressures, not the best interests of Britain's defence, security and leading place in the world.

Answer from Ben Wallace (The Minister for Defence Procurement)

First, I can give the right hon. Gentleman the assurance that this is not driven by financial pressures; it is driven first and foremost by threat. As a former Security Minister, which he rightly referenced, I believe threat should define what we do and how we meet it. That is why, as I said, we gathered the chiefs together last week. It was not a financial discussion and, contrary to what was reported, it was not a numbers discussion, either. It was a discussion about how we meet the threat and deliver our future armed forces to match that, taking into account cyber and many other areas. The Government are determined to continue to do that. We stand by our pledge to increase defence spending in real terms, and we will use that money, spending it wisely to ensure we meet those very threats.

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Q3 Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
Veterans
Context

Inquires about the potential impact of the Overseas Operations Bill on the amount of compensation paid annually by the Ministry of Defence.

Question

Further to the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey), legislation can have unintended consequences, and I am concerned that the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill could result in the MOD paying less compensation to servicemen and women. Will the Secretary of State therefore commit to publishing the likely impact of the legislation on the amount of compensation paid annually by the MOD?

Answer from Ben Wallace (The Minister for Defence Procurement)

An impact assessment will have been published with the Bill when it was brought to the House. We are hoping to get the Bill to Second Reading sooner rather than later, so the hon. Lady can see all those details and impact assessments. As my hon. Friend the Veterans Minister said, it is not the case that people will be prevented from seeking damages, through either tort—for damages against the MOD, rather than other people—or other processes. Obviously, from diagnosis is one of the key dates.

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Q4 Margaret Ferrier SNP Falkirk East
Defence Standards & Ethics
Context

A recent freedom of information request revealed that the Ministry of Defence wasted almost £9 million on fruitless payments.

Question

What steps is the MOD taking to restore public trust in the management of its finances after wasting nearly £9 million?

Answer from Ben Wallace (The Minister for Defence Procurement)

Only today, the permanent secretary and other officials attended the Public Accounts Committee to answer some of those questions in detail. The point is that the MOD spends £41 billion overall, ensuring funds are spent on the armed forces, industry, and equipment capability.

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