New Clause 15 — Defence statistics

Part of Armed Forces Bill (Programme) (No. 2) – in the House of Commons at 9:15 pm on 14 June 2011.

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Photo of Andrew Robathan Andrew Robathan The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence 9:15, 14 June 2011

Information on employment is quite readily available with a little bit of hard work, but I am afraid that we must consider the cost of compiling inaccurate statistics. The previous Government took their view, and we support it. Decisions on where personnel are based and which contracts are let to which firms are based solely on what is best for the armed forces and the defence of the realm. It is the duty of Government to ensure that the defence budget is spent wisely, maximising the resources available on the front line and ensuring that every pound counts.