UK Parliament / Open data

Britain and International Security

Proceeding contribution from Bob Stewart (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 2 July 2015. It occurred during Debate on Britain and International Security.

I thank my very hon. Friend for her intervention, and I entirely agree with everything she says. Those matters are now considered very seriously in the SDSR.

Of course I support the military being given what it requires to defend our country properly. I remind the House that, at the height of the cold war, we were normally spending as much as 4.6% of our national income on defence. Although I understand and support the need for targeted overseas aid, I am none the less absolutely shocked that we spend the equivalent of a third of the defence budget on it each year. And I am afraid I do not subscribe to the argument that providing international aid can be a proper substitute for sufficient military power. Defence is too serious a matter to be fiddled.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
597 c1700 
Session
2015-16
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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