Topical Questions

Answer from Ben Wallace

Our advantage derives from our people; attracting, recruiting and retaining the best with diverse skills is vital to meeting threats faced. Diversity and inclusion are crucial for operational capability.

Answer from Ben Wallace

I will do the right hon. Gentleman a deal: I will raise that at Cobra if he tells his union paymasters not to go on strike over Christmas and not to ruin the lives of our soldiers and sailors.

Answer from Alex Chalk

My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion of steel; support ship competition winner has indicated that it intends to use UK-sourced steel whenever practical and for the majority of build.

Answer from Ben Wallace

First, I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's figures; between now and next year's Budget, enough to insulate from effects of inflation within current comprehensive spending review envelope.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

Absolutely. Our cadet forces do a wonderful job; I congratulate PO Mack.

Answer from James Heappey

I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

Answer from Ben Wallace

We are grateful to Sweden; Swedish personnel training Ukrainian ground forces here. Whether Sweden wishes to donate aeroplanes is genuinely a matter for the Swedish armed forces, but we need to ensure Russia's numbers are overmatched.

Answer from Ben Wallace

Ukraine has shown itself to be a master of innovation; developed several long-range drones having an effect. The real question here is scale and numbers, compared with the numbers that Russia is buying from Iran.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

I am sympathetic to what my hon. Friend says and he can be sure that my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement and I are looking closely at the FDIS—future defence infrastructure services—contract right now.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

I hope that the hon. Lady will be aware of the career transition pathway, an innovation that eases people's passage from the armed forces into the veteran community. Let us be clear: most members of our armed forces transition perfectly well. Some need help, and the career transition pathway is designed to provide that.

Answer from Alex Chalk

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Innovation is essential and we are supporting it through initiatives such as the defence and security accelerator and the defence technology exploitation programme. We have all the plans we need to give us a competitive edge and ensure we stay one step ahead of our opponents.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

I do not recognise those figures but I do recognise the fact that 90% of people living in service family accommodation live in homes that are at or above the Government's decent homes standards. The MOD aspires to decent homes plus and, this year alone, is investing £176 million in upgrading service family accommodation.

Answer from Ben Wallace

I read out earlier the losses inflicted on the Russian army by a much smaller army that is defending against an aggression that does not have any basis in international law or respect for human rights, and that is an extraordinary feat by those brave men and women. We will continue to support all the way through the next year, as will the international community.

Answer from Ben Wallace

The hon. Gentleman will know about this because, I am afraid that, under Governments of both parties, we have been involved as former soldiers in meeting the consequences of strikes, whether the tanker strikes, fire strikes or ambulance strikes, which are potentially approaching. Yes, soldiers and sailors would prefer to be doing their day job of defending their country, but sometimes they are called upon when the unions put at risk the safety of parts of this country and do so over a festive period.

Answer from Alex Chalk

I was pleased to note an additional £560 million provided from the recent settlement to replenish precisely those stocks. Also, the production lines to re-procure some of the very weapons that are going to go back on to British shelves are already running, and we will continue on that path.

Answer from Andrew Murrison

I am grateful to my hon. Friend who has done so much to advance the cause of women in the armed forces. She will be aware of the two current inquiries into behaviour on submarines and I am not going to prejudice their outcomes. I expect them to make their recommendations and will report on them to the House as soon as I can.

Answer from Ben Wallace (Minister for Defence)

One of the international treaties with the most signatures on it is on freedom of navigation across all seas. The United Kingdom stands strongly behind that and will uphold it wherever we can, hence our transit of HMS Defender in the Black sea. We will do that wherever we are able to do so in accordance with international law, and we will not be intimidated by Russia or any other nation.

Answer from Ben Wallace (Minister for Defence)

The services are leading in trying to look at exactly that unconventional route in. If we are to attract people to the National Cyber Force and to cyber, we are going to have to think in different terms from 20 or 30 years ago. That is incredibly important. We need to be flexible, we need to be innovative and we need to be modern.

Answer from Ben Wallace (Minister for Defence)

No, I am not. We need to look at some of those regulations, because one of the things that holds us back too much in innovation, development and deployment is our own regulation. Too much of that holds us back. The Ukrainians obviously do not have that consideration, and they are making amazing steps forward.