Lord Bramall: My Lords, as, for various reasons, this is my last speech in your Lordships' House-the last, I believe, of close on 200 personal contributions over the past 26 years-I hope that noble Lords will be indulgent over my being given dispensation to deliver most of this speech sitting down because of my difficulty in standing without full back support for more than a few moments. I have selected...
Lord Bramall: The report on defence reform by the noble Lord, Lord Levene, is yet another chapter in the steady evolutionary process of the higher organisation of defence going back some 47 years to the Mountbatten reorganisation, in which I had some direct involvement. I even recognise some of the same cries and aspirations. I want to ask two questions, but before I do, having had a chance to read the...
Lord Bramall: This is my second and last question.
Lord Bramall: My Lords, one of the most important parts of the strategic defence and security review was the establishment of the National Security Council, chaired at the highest level by the Prime Minister with his own designated staff, whose task it would be to develop and, one hoped, to oversee an updated national strategy. It was to cover, among other matters, vital interests, likely and even possible...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, the inquiry, headed by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Saville, aptly summarised that the events of that January afternoon 38 years ago were indeed a tragedy. They were a tragedy, of course, for the 13 civilians, who in the course of a civil rights march lost their lives when they had done nothing that could have justified their shooting, and for the widowed and bereaved. But they...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Statement on the Government's Green Paper and for the sensible things she has said about co-operation, partnership and a fully joined-up security policy. I should like to be clear on one thing. Although the Minister may be technically correct in saying, "not a penny will be cut from next year's budget", is it not true that because of...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, having lived for much of my professional life under and, indeed, intellectually fully accepted what I might even describe as the theology of Britain's nuclear deterrent, with all its political overtones; commanded a division in the field in West Germany at the height of the Cold War, the tactical performance of which depended to a great extent on the back-up and background threat of...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, since, as is obvious from the nature of the Question, dynamic diplomacy does or should have a vital part to play in all modern military operations, should the FCO budget be considered more in a strategic context and therefore await the outcome of the long overdue defence and security review, rather than being slashed unilaterally?
Lord Bramall: My Lords, I appreciate that the Secretary of State has a very difficult, if not impossible, balancing act, but can the Minister confirm that, however much it is dressed up, £1 billion is going to be removed from the defence budget in year 1, when we still have an all-embracing war on our hands? Will she be a little more explicit on priorities and explain what exactly is meant by, "stopping...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, does the Minister accept that the Defence Medical Services are still grossly understrength in surgeons, anaesthetists and other specialists, have been suffering actual cuts in vital clinical training and professional development and are excessively reliant on the National Health Service and the Reserve Forces for the comprehensive handling of battle casualties? All this is happening...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that, while the crisis in Afghanistan continues-it is a crisis, whichever way you look at it-the Ministry of Defence is having its hands tied behind its back by the significant sums that are being withdrawn from it on the basis of an overspend that has been brought about only by having to buy the emergency equipment that is so badly needed at the front?
Lord Bramall: My Lords, it is gratifying to have the opportunity to speak about strategy and defence in the mainstream of the gracious Speech, rather than-as usual-it being shunted off into a short-notice Friday morning. The subject is of the utmost urgency. Our defence affairs are in a highly sensitive state and merit wide debate. On the one hand, we have a shooting war in Afghanistan which has not really...
Lord Bramall: To ask Her Majesty's Government how Her Majesty's Armed Forces are contributing to the overall strategy in Afghanistan; and what progress their military action is making to that end.
Lord Bramall: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply, and for reading out and honouring before us the large number of fallen in this campaign. I associate myself with that, as many of them were from my own regiment. Does she agree that, if our Armed Forces are highly relevant to our strategy, it is vital that the public are kept fully informed of the continuing purpose of those military operations...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, I add my tribute to the soldiers who have lost their lives, many of them recently having been in my own regiment. Does the Minister not agree that what Parliament and the public expect of their military leaders is professional competence, honesty, integrity and a concern for their men? Would she not accept that, if a senior military officer is asked a straight question on a purely...
Lord Bramall: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 19 May (WA 295) on the report of the Congressionally-mandated United States Research Advisory Committee's Inquiry into Gulf War illnesses, whether they have now checked the accuracy of Lord Tunnicliffe's Statement on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, cols. 8—10) that the US Institute of...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, I, too, thank the Minister for repeating the Statement made in another place and I welcome its contents on behalf of all retired Gurkhas who served for longer than four years and who still want to live in this country. It is always good to see to old Gurkha comrades-in-arms over here. They deserve unique consideration. They undoubtedly make loyal, co-operative and amenable citizens,...
Lord Bramall: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 9), whether and on what dates invitations to the symposium held in the House of Lords on 24 March on the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War Illnesses were received by Baroness Taylor of Bolton and the Under-Secretary of State...
Lord Bramall: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answers by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, cols 8-10), whether his statement that the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) was then reviewing the findings of the Congressionally-mandated US Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War Illnesses and that he expected the IOM to report in February 2010 took...
Lord Bramall: My Lords, as someone much swept up in the events of 1942 to 1944, latterly at what might be described as the sharp end, perhaps I may make three points. First, however much we may now regret having had to reduce so many German cities to ruins, there is no doubt that the bomber offensive by night by Bomber Command and by day by the US Eighth Air Force made a major contribution to writing down...