Strategic Defence and Security Review

The right hon. and learned Gentleman makes a compelling argument. I look forward to being part of the discussion during the referendum campaign. I have only two more points to make: the first is about finance but the other is about Scotland, which will allow me to respond to that intervention in more detail. The Secretary of State mentioned the £38 billion figure, but that is Ministers' response to every single issue. They use a catch-all Conservative assertion as a fact and so attempt to escape their responsibility, but in its report on the SDSR the Defence Committee stated:"““We were disappointed by the MoD's response to our requests for a breakdown of the MoD's financial commitments, including details of the components of its estimate of a £38 billion gap in the defence programme””." When the previous Secretary of State gave evidence to the Committee, he was asked to provide that information, but it has still not received it. He said that he would provide it, but when challenged he said:"““Offhand, I couldn't give an actual figure, but I will get it for the Committee.””" The Committee has not received it. In evidence to the Public Accounts Committee, the MOD director of general finance said that"““Ministers have committed to making a public statement””" on the MOD's spending gap. They have not made it. We look forward to the promised information being made available not only to the Defence Committee and the House, but to the forces, their families and the country. Until Ministers provide it, there will be an enormous gap in the Government's explanation for their decisions. Finally, let me respond to the point about Scotland made by the right hon. and learned Member for North East Fife and my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mrs Moon), who unintentionally but inelegantly described Scotland as ““our back door””. For many of us it is home and we want never to see a Royal Navy battlegroup off the coast of Scotland, except perhaps as it sails from there to foreign shores; but while there are real worries about the Government's defence policy on the Opposition Benches and across the country, those are dwarfed by the worries about the defence plans of another Government on these isles—the Scottish Government. Although I criticise the rushed nature of the UK Government's defence review, I make the opposite criticism of the Scottish National party Government's approach. Their party has been around since 1943—