Priti Patel
Main Page: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)Department Debates - View all Priti Patel's debates with the Ministry of Defence
(11 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Nick Harvey
As I have said, the criteria that will be used will be objective, and certainly the contribution of Welsh members of the armed forces is hugely recognised and respected.
Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)
15. How much his Department plans to spend on renewing the nuclear deterrent in the remainder of the spending period.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Peter Luff)
The Ministry of Defence plans to invest around £1.4 billion between now and 2014-15 on the assessment phase of the successor submarine programme, as announced to Parliament in May last year. The total cost of the assessment phase, including long-lead items, will be around £3 billion by the time it is complete in 2016-17. Without that investment, it could not be guaranteed that a successor submarine would be available in time to ensure a continuous at-sea deterrent.
Priti Patel
With unfriendly regimes advancing their development of nuclear weaponry, will the Minister give an assurance that the United Kingdom will be defended by the most advanced and effective nuclear deterrent?
Peter Luff
I can assure my hon. Friend that we understand the vital importance of keeping the minimum effective nuclear deterrent for precisely the reasons she sets out so eloquently.