I am very interested in the report to which the hon. Gentleman has referred, which points out that there is a shortage of approximately 5,000 troops. Is he aware that if the recruitment policy of the Army, Navy and Air Force were colour blind—that is, if they were recruiting a...

I am very interested in the report to which the hon. Gentleman has referred, which points out that there is a shortage of approximately 5,000 troops. Is he aware that if the recruitment policy of the Army, Navy and Air Force were colour blind—that is, if they were recruiting a...

I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate, albeit briefly. I congratulate the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) on securing it—the subject is important and I agree almost entirely with the content of his speech, which was a good one. I agree also with much of...

I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate, albeit briefly. I congratulate the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) on securing it—the subject is important and I agree almost entirely with the content of his speech, which was a good one. I agree also with much of...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that point, because it is the very one on which I shall finish. I do not think; I know what the barrier is. As an ex-serving airman myself, it saddens me to say this, but there is no doubt in my mind that...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that point, because it is the very one on which I shall finish. I do not think; I know what the barrier is. As an ex-serving airman myself, it saddens me to say this, but there is no doubt in my mind that...

This is a short debate, and perhaps I did not make myself clear. The hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes has suggested some possible solutions. We have to positively discriminate to get rid of this unacceptable anomaly, which we have not done up to now. That is what I propose.

This is a short debate, and perhaps I did not make myself clear. The hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes has suggested some possible solutions. We have to positively discriminate to get rid of this unacceptable anomaly, which we have not done up to now. That is what I propose.

(3) what provision was made for the cost of the TUPE obligations in the (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET) and (b) Tornado CMU and Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme; and what the resultant costs were.

(3) what provision was made for the cost of the TUPE obligations in the (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET) and (b) Tornado CMU and Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme; and what the resultant costs were.

(2) what assessment he has made of the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) in the awarding of contracts for (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET), (b) Tornado CMU, (c) Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP) and (d) Tornado Tiger Team...

(2) what assessment he has made of the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) in the awarding of contracts for (a) Tornado RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET), (b) Tornado CMU, (c) Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP) and (d) Tornado Tiger Team...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the degree to which Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) provisions were incorporated into the business case for the End 2 End (E2E) Logistics Review Air Depth Support Recommendation 40; and if he will make...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the degree to which Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) provisions were incorporated into the business case for the End 2 End (E2E) Logistics Review Air Depth Support Recommendation 40; and if he will make...