Extract from Oral Statement to Parliament by the Defence Secretary John Healey to the House of Commons on Wednesday 20 November.
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Westminster, 20 November 2024: [extract] I want to update the House on what we’re doing today.
First, on investment… In July the Chancellor exposed the £22 billion black hole at the heart of the Government plans. Hundreds of unfunded pressures. This year, and into the future too. The first duty is of the Government is to keep this country safe.
That’s why the Chancellor has announced in the budget that defence will receive a boost next year of nearly £3 billion to start to fix the foundations for our forces. The Chancellor also told this House, “we will set a clear path to 2.5% of GDP on Defence”….. Which will be fully funded – [political content removed (from .gov.uk)].
But it is not just how much you spend on defence, but how you spend that counts…. Which is why we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review (SDR), at pace, to assess the threats we face and the capabilities that we will need in the future…. And it is also why I have also introduced tight financial controls on the department, including a £300 million reduction in planned consultancy spending.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we are getting a grip of MoD budgets and investing in people and in future technologies.
Second, on kit and capabilities. For too long, our soldiers, sailors and aviators have been stuck with old, outdated equipment… because Ministers wouldn’t make the difficult decommissioning decisions. As technology advances at pace, we must move faster towards the future.
So today, with full backing from our Service Chiefs, I can confirm that six outdated military capabilities will be taken out of service. These decisions are set to save MoD £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years – savings that will be retained in full in Defence.
Alongside this Statement, I have laid a WMS to outline the detail of my decommissioning decisions. These include:
- HMS Northumberland – a frigate with structural damage that makes her simply uneconomical to repair.
- 46 Watchkeeper M1s – a 14 year old Army drone which technology has overtaken.
- HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark – landing ships both effectively retired by previous Ministers but superficially kept on the books at a cost of £9 million a year.
- 14 Chinooks – some over 35 years old – accelerated out of service.
- Two Wave class tankers – neither of which have been to sea for years.
- And 17 Puma helicopters – some with over 50 years’ flying – will not be extended.
I recognise that these will mean a lot to many who’ve sailed and flown them during their deployments around the world. They have provided a valuable capability over the years. But their work is done. We must look now to the future.
All current personnel will be redeployed or retrained – no one will be made redundant. And as the First Sea Lord says about these retirements, “the threat is changing so we must have the self-confidence to make the changes required”.
And of course Madam Deputy Speaker be in no doubt, the future for our Royal Marines, and their elite force, will be reinforced in the SDR.
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