Armed Forces Capability: Future Security Threats

Answer from Ben Wallace

The Ministry of Defence is examining its capability requirements through the integrated review, guided by Defence Intelligence's understanding of the threats we face now and in the future. We are examining the evolving doctrines, structures and capabilities of our adversaries to ensure that we develop the capabilities required to deliver the operations of tomorrow.

Answer from Ben Wallace

I am always happy to work with the Treasury on any number of subjects. Defence's multibillion-pound investment in the UK powers the skills, innovation and capabilities that keep this country safe, secure and competitive. As a Lancashire MP, Mr Speaker, you will recognise how important the industry is to the skills base in our constituencies. Defence is leading a review of the defence and security industrial strategy to identify steps to ensure a competitive and world-class industrial base that delivers investment, employment and prosperity across the whole United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answer from Ben Wallace

Defence Intelligence uses its 4,500 exceptionally talented staff to collect, analyse and exploit intelligence. By working internationally and with other Departments, it is able to judge today's threat and tomorrow's and ensure that that feeds into the future design under the integrated review.

Answer from Ben Wallace

The mistake of all the defence reviews—including the 1998 one, which was exceptionally good, and Lord Drayson's review—was that they were not matched by funding. The Labour party had exactly the same problem at its last review, which is why in 2010 we inherited a black hole of billions of pounds, and indeed, there is a black hole now, identified by the National Audit Office. This is not unique to any political party. Selective picking of the last two reviews, when I could probably talk about the last five, makes no difference. The key is to ensure that our review is driven by threat. The threat defines what we need to do to keep us safe at home, and the ambition defines how far we wish to go. All that then needs to be matched with Treasury funding. If we are over-ambitious, underfunded or both, we will in a few years' time end up in the position we are in today and have been in the past. It has been my determination to support the men and women of the armed forces the shadow Secretary of State talks about by making sure that we give them something we can afford and tailoring our ambition to match our pocket.

Answer from Ben Wallace

I think that I misheard. I thought the shadow Secretary of State was talking about the position that we inherited in 2010, which was underfunded and over-ambitious—indeed, there was an equipment hole so big that many of the tanks could be driven through it. He could also point out that our men and women in the armed forces have been ready: they have delivered an excellent covid response and have not been found wanting in any way. That is partly because of the investment we have put into them, but also because of expert leadership through the officers and the civil servants in the Department and across the Government. I assure the shadow Secretary of State that the best way to avoid the pitfalls of the past is to make sure that our ambition is matched by our pockets and what we put into the review. That is fundamentally the best thing we can do for all our forces. I would be delighted to hear the Labour party's ambition on foreign policy and security; the previous Labour party leadership's ambition for foreign policy was surrender.

Answer from Ben Wallace

Of course he may have missed Type 31 frigate and Type 26 ships being made in Scotland; Faslane base recently basing P-8s in Kinloss. There will be more investment and units placed in Scotland, because we believe UK is best union for security of all citizens. We do not believe in separation or borders between our countries. We are stronger when together.

Answer from Ben Wallace

We are having multi-year integrated review that sets course for next few years. SNP always resorts to saving regiments rather than discussing threats to Scotland; Treasury has talked about four-year spending settlement in next comprehensive spending review, so it is based on multiple years.

Answer from Ben Wallace

Review will report hopefully in October/November; timed to coincide with comprehensive spending review. On covid, Defence helped thicken response across government by command and control, strengthened logistics supply chain in NHS, provided mobile testing.

Answer from Ben Wallace

Hezbollah is proscribed—the political wing as well as military wing. Real, New and Continuity IRA are also proscribed; we should point to facts that show adversaries link up around world.