RE: House of Commons : General debate on defence8 May 2024 07:09
LSE03 ref 22.34 post thanks for this I note in response to an earlier question from Jim Shannon Grant Shapps referred to investing in Northern Ireland the link to the response from Hansard is https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-05-07/debates/3E15E8A3-071B-4EE2-8381-C5A2CA07A152/Defence#contribution-F206E377-61D0-4746-AE4C-3807361B6BE4 what I found interesting is that as far as I can tell from my skim reading he did not go on to lay out how much will be spent in Northern Ireland.
Also there is this from column 507 from the speech from Mark Francois refferring to the new procurement model
'I note that the dynamic head of Defence Equipment and Support, Andy Start, when speaking at the Royal United Services Institute recently, explained that the reforms began in March and that the operating model will reach what he calls a “minimal viable product” by the autumn, with the whole programme in full flow by next year. As someone who has previously expressed a great deal of frustration about the bureaucracy and tardiness of our procurement system, I can only wish the Minister for Defence Procurement and the head of DE&S Godspeed in implementing these reforms as fast as possible, particularly as the international outlook continues to worsen. We urgently need a sense of urgency, as it were, and it appears that, finally, we are starting to develop one.'
Jim Shannon's contribution can be found here https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-05-07/debates/3E15E8A3-071B-4EE2-8381-C5A2CA07A152/Defence#contribution-01FC96FE-6FC2-4343-914B-FE10935B4C5D
In summing up the Minister said this 'The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) is a strong advocate for the defence enterprise in Northern Ireland, and his part in particular. He rightly highlighted the further opportunities in Northern Ireland, which I know about full well as a former Northern Ireland Office Minister and Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.' He however failed to expand on the Defence Secretary's comment about how much will be spent in Northern Ireland. I suspect that the Secretary of State might be the last witness before the Nortern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry into defence spending in Northern Ireland and if that is correct Jim Shannon will no doubt press on that. I should be able to watch the next hearing.
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