Government responses to 9th and 10th Reports

Last week, the Government published responses to our two latest inquiries.

The Defence Committee has released the Government's response to our report on Operations in Libya as a Special Report. The Committee raised a number of concerns, one of the most serious being the large number of missing portable surface to air missiles. Government response makes clear that that Allied Forces have secured the destruction of over 5000 since the end of the campaign.

We still have the fourth largest Defence budget in the world, but despite this, there was doubt that the UK could undertake such a serious operation whilst maintaining its existing commitments. It is clear that restricted resources led to a displacement effect on other tasks; the Fleet Ready Escort and counter drugs operations were not always able to be performed during action in Libya.

One of the consequences of the SDSR is there will be some effects on our capability to maintain these tasks in the face of campaign action, and we need to ensure this is fully considered in any future commitments we make. It is also crucial that we have a complete picture of the actual costs of the mission as this will inform us in the event of any decisions to be made regarding future conflict.

A further Inquiry was on the developing threat of EMP events. As technology becomes ever more advanced and accessible, so to do the threats that accompany it. GPS technologies have become vital to a number of sectors, and remain vulnerable in the face of space weather events and potential hostile actions. We strongly urged that the Government 'began to approach this matter with the seriousness it deserves'.

The response indicates that steps are being taken to counter a significant threat, through co-operation and consultation with other countries within the EU and US, and through the creation of the NSSP (National Space Security Policy) team that will examine the governance and resourcing of any new cross-Government space security structures.

Defence Committee publishes tenth report

The Defence Select Committee has today published its tenth report of this Parliamentary session on developing threats, with particular relevance to EMPs. 

Many of our current technologies vital to both the global financial markets and the military are known to be vulnerable to the effects of space weather or to EMPs caused by detonating a nuclear device at altitude. We concluded on the Committee that there is a need for one Department to have responsibility for taking the immediate lead should a severe space weather event occur.

There is a need to ensure the Government considers the long-term security of satellite technology and ensure that our national interests are protected. We cannot afford to rule out the loss of satellite based communications systems and should plan for this eventuality in case it occurs.

The full report is available online here. 

Defence Committee publishes ninth report

The Defence Select Committee has this morning published its ninth report of this Parliamentary session, examining last year's operations in Libya. The Committee praised the outstanding contributions made by all three services to the campaign, but raised concerns as to whether the Navy was able to maintain its position in campaigns outside Libya at the same time.

The biggest concern was whether the significant cuts made to the Armed Forces would impact similar campaigns in the future. The Libya campaign was a success in achieving the goals of the UN mandate, but we still need to determine whether its sucess was unique, or if we have the capacity to emulate it in future similar campaigns.

The full report is available here

Defence Select Committee publishes Eighth Report

The Defence Select Committee this morning published its eighth report of this session on the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts for 2010-2011. 

The Committee has described it as 'grotesque' that 40% of planned military redundancies are to be compulsory while the MoD's current civilian redundancies will be entirely voluntary. This discrepancy is not acceptable, and something we have called on to be addressed. Senior Civil Servants reported to the Committee that this is because 'a large number of Civil Servants have flexible skills that enable them to work in a variety of places'; in my mind, this entirely disregards the breadth of skills and flexibility that is the hallmark of our armed forces and a direct product of the training they receive.

This is also the fifth year in a row that the MoD's accounts have not been signed off by the National Audit Office. Nobody doubts the unique challenges the MoD faces, but they cannot remain unaccountable, and standard accounting procedures still need to apply.

You can view the full report online here, and my views are outlined fully in my article today on Conservative Home, here.

Defence Select Committee publishes Seventh Report

Yesterday the Defence Select Committee published its seventh report investigating the Armed Forces Covenant. I attended many of the evidence sessions on this inquiry, and I believe there are three significant points from the report worth highlighting. 

The committee has made recommendations on medical treatment and rehabilitation. I was highly impressed by the level of care and treatment provided at Queen Elizabeth Hospital when the committee visited it; I believe it is crucial that these services remain well funded and maintained.

The committee also made recommendations to instigate a study into the drivers behind excessive alcohol consumption and modify its policies accordingly. I feel that for too long the problem of alcohol misuse has not been adequately scrutinised; I feel we need to take it seriously and allocate new resources to help resolve problems associated with alcoholism in the military.

I feel ongoing research in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) should inform new MoD practices to address the detrimental implications for mental health that severe physical injuries can have. I am also pleased there is a much wider awareness of mental health issues, and the committee will be closely following how the recommendations of Dr Andrew Murrison's report are implemented. 

Finally, the committee took evidence from the many service charities who work to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of those wounded in the line of duty. In particular, we examined the working relationship between the MoD and the charitable sector. I believe we need to ensure this relationship is properly governed; there needs to be an awareness of budgeting running costs for the long term, not just the immediate future. 

You can read my full views on the report on Conservative Home here, and the report itself can be found here.

Second Evidence Session on Libya

The Defence Select Committee yesterday questioned the Minister for Armed Forces and senior personnel from the Ministry of Defence as part of its second evidence session in the inquiry into operations in Libya. I personally feel that you cannot put a price on the lives of civilians that were undoubtedly helped by our intervention, along with that of our NATO allies. However, in this economic climate, it is only right that we make sure that we allocate our resources wisely. To this end, I put forward a number of questions to the Minister and Chiefs of Staff.

Witnesses questioned by the Committee on Wednesday:

Nick Harvey MP, Minister for the Armed Forces
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB ADC, Chief of the Air Staff
Lieutenant General Richard Barrons CBE, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations), Ministry of Defence

More on the Libya inquiry can be found here.

Operations in Libya

The Committee yesterday took its first evidence session as part of the ongoing enquiry into Operations in Libya. Evidence was heard from: Sir Mark Lyall Grant KCMG, UK Permanent Representative to the UN; Christian Turner, Director, Middle East and North Africa; Cathy Adams, Legal Counsellor, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Mariot Leslie CMG, UK Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council; Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper KBE, UK Military Representative to NATO and EU.

We are currently conducting inquiries into Operations in Afghanistan, the National Security Strategy, the Military Covenant, Operations in Libya and Developing Threats to Electronic Infrastructure.

John at Defence Select Committee

Sir Jock Stirrup has warned that the armed forces will be "substantially smaller" than currently planned unless the next Government introduces a real terms spending increase from 2015.

The former Chief of the Defence Staff told the Defence Committee today: "The plan is all based around recovering from 2015 onwards... there is a lot of planning going on but it does all depend on money.

"So the key question is what plans are there for ensuring that whoever forms the Government in the second half of this decade ensures that there is real terms increase in Defence spending over that period."

Asked by Tory MP John Glen about the implications should the money not be made available, he said: "The reality is that the future forces [plan] would be completely unaffordable and the armed forces would have to be substantially smaller than is currently planned to be the case."

Grilling the Chief of Defence Staff

This is the video from the Defence meeting in which the HDSC quizzed the Chief of Defence Staff, who happens to be one of my constituents. My main appearance is at 47:32: Defence Select Committee 17th November

Falklands are in safe hands

LAST week, I visited the Falkland Islands with the Defence Select Committee.

The committee had not visited the islands since 1999 so, despite the sabre rattling by the Argentine president, it was right that we visited the UK's defence establishment at Mount Pleasant where £70 million is spent each year to defend the Falkland Islands.

As has become commonplace on my Defence Committee visits, I soon met a constituent so, amid conversations about helicopters, I was invited to take up a matter by a pilot from Stoford. I felt privileged to oblige.

It is quite clear the Falklands defences are in fine shape – we visited HMS Clyde as it was about to depart to South Georgia, we met with families of serving soldiers, toured accommodation, visited the governor, the Legislative Assembly members, the Chambers of Commerce as well as all military assets and those who look after them.

It was also a real privilege to visit the graves of those who gave their lives during the Falkland Conflict in 1982. The memorial at Blue Beach Cemetery, San Carlos, was particularly poignant as we reflected on the bravery of those who landed there to liberate the islands nearly 30 years ago.

I was pleased to know the radar systems and the overall tactical posture of our assets indicate the Ministry of Defence is taking nothing for granted – no matter how much empty rhetoric is uttered in Buenos Aires.

What was also clear from our conversations is that the Falkland Islands are facing a key moment in their history – the prospect of significant viable oil fields to the south and north of the settlements makes the next decade a potentially exciting one for the overseas territory.

The islanders' response to this opportunity will have a big impact on the future economic prosperity of the 3,400 inhabitants.

After 17 hours of flying, I returned to my family and the email inbox - I am pleased to say 190 replies were despatched by Tuesday morning.

A full week in Westminster awaits and some last-minute lobbying before the long-awaited budget is revealed next Wednesday.

Visit to USA in April 2011

This week, I am in the US with my House of Commons Defence Select Committee colleagues. We are visiting military institutions and meeting key personnel in Tampa Florida, Norfolk Virginia, and Washington DC as part of our ongoing enquiries. This follows the time we spent in Afghanistan at the beginning of the year meeting serving soldiers on the frontline. Last night I met Maj Gen Chip Chapman from Shaftesbury and another senior officer from Harnham at Central Command! Salisbury military keep tabs on me wherever I go! These photographs were taken yesterday at US Central Command in Tampa and on the USS George H W Bush.

Afghanistan

Last week I visited Afghanistan with the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. We travelled to Camp Bastion in Helmand and visited our troops. We also met the special representatives from NATO and the UN and President Hamid Karzai. I am pictured here with Major Paul Fletcher from Salisbury who I bumped into when having breakfast with the troops.

I left in a more optimistic mood than when I arrived – there is no doubt that significant progress is being made but I was left with a sense that a big gap remains between domestic attitudes to the war as compared to the complex and fragile situation on the ground.

My impression is that the focus on building capacity amongst the Afghans to find sustainable self-directed security and governance models is gaining ground.