Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts
Monday 18th January 2016

(8 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Julian Brazier Portrait Mr Brazier
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I will pass my hon. Friend’s ingenious idea to colleagues and we will look at it for him.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
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24. As the Government are still short of their target on trained reserves, does the Minister acknowledge the concerns raised by his hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron), who has warned that these cuts are leading to severe capability gaps in our armed forces?

Julian Brazier Portrait Mr Brazier
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We had to take some painful decisions when we took over in 2010 as part of the coalition Government, because the country was spending £4 for every £3 coming in. After the reshaping, we have now moved to a position where, despite there still being some tough decisions to take, this country has committed to spending 2% on defence and to a large expansion of its equipment programme.