Defence Spending (Wales)

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I hope to cover some of the points that have been raised this morning, and I shall comment on that. It is pretty clear that military establishments and bases are dotted across the entire UK. It must be recognised that those facilities become part of day-to-day life in those communities, whether through a sense of pride in being associated with the defence of our country, or simply because of the employment opportunities that they may bring. Frankly, whatever the reason, it all matters. I want to quote from the debate of 4 November, because comment has been passed on the manner in which the strategic defence and security review came about. The quotation, from Hansard, is:"““The strategic defence and security review was an opportunity to reshape the UK's military force in that changing global security landscape. Unfortunately, according to the Royal United Services Institute, 68% of the defence and security community felt that it was a 'lost opportunity for a more radical reassessment of the UK's role in the world'.””—[Official Report, 4 November 2010; Vol. 517, c. 1074.]" Many of us, including all Labour Members, have said that it was far too quick. The previous full review under the Labour Government took some 15 months to complete.