Defence Committee reacts to Defence Command Paper

“Only two days ago the Defence Secretary warned of multiple future conflicts on the horizon. Yet today’s announcement of cuts to troop numbers, leaving us with the smallest Army since the seventeen hundreds, will be extremely concerning to many. Mr Wallace says his plans are not “fantasy force politics”, but we need more personnel, not less, and relying on veterans and reserve forces is no substitute for a regular, professional Force. The Defence Secretary is right to say that our servicepeople are “our real battle-winning capability”. So why won’t he commit to sustaining the regular force the UK needs?

“On Sunday we published our report ‘It is broke – and it’s time to fix it’ on the MOD’s chaotic approach to procurement. This is a roadmap to reform and laid out 22 pragmatic, realistic recommendations. I’m pleased to see that the MOD has acknowledged that, when it comes to equipment and munitions, we need much more and much faster.

“Although the decrease in personnel is troubling, the MOD has shown commendable ambition elsewhere. Making the most of technological advancements will be critical to our future success, helping us to maintain an edge over our adversaries. The extra money pledged for stockpiles will increase our readiness and improve the strength of our deterrence overall. These are welcome investments.

“The £400 million to modernise accommodation is much needed. Too often Service personnel and their families are forced to live in conditions that fall far below acceptable standards. Last week we launched our Sub-Committee on Service Accommodation to address this very problem and to aid the MOD in improving accommodation for the Services.”

Further information

• Defence Committee
• Defence Command Paper

Image credit: UK Parliament / CC