I am grateful. May I say how much I support the Government’s commitment to the 2% minimum on defence spending? However, does my right hon. Friend agree that we are going to need every penny of it, given in particular that the Chinese—my right hon. Friend mentioned east of Suez—are seeking to colonise militarily a number of uninhabited atolls in the South China sea, which is destabilising the region? Given that we are signatories to the five power defence arrangements, does he agree that we need to take action on that, and therefore increase the defence budget and not keep it steady where it is?
Budget Resolutions
Proceeding contribution from
Gerald Howarth
(Conservative)
in the House of Commons on Monday, 13 March 2017.
It occurred during Budget debate on Budget Resolutions.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
623 c86 
Session
2016-17
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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Timestamp
2022-03-28 10:51:29 +0100
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