Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on UK employment levels of an early retirement of the C-130J; and if he will make a statement.

The Integrated Review will modernise our Armed Forces to ensure they have the capabilities they need to counter the threats they face, now and into the future. That will mean making changes and making tough choices, but any decision on future capabilities will be firmly based on those principles and announced in due course.