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By Tony Grew - 14th March 2011
The defence secretary has told the Commons that cuts are being made to the armed forces as a direct result of the "incompetence" of the last government.
At departmental questions today, Liam Fox said the security and defence review (SDSR) took place with a budget 'black hole' of £36bn in the MoD budget.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the situation in Libya had raised "serious issues" about the UK response.
He said HMS Cumberland, which played a key role in evacuating Britons from Libya, is to be decommissioned.
Murphy quoted the NAO that there are just eight pilots qualified to undertake ground attacks in Typhoon aircraft and questioned the wisdom of sacking 200 pilots.
Fox said reductions are being made as a result of Labour's incompetence.
Murphy hit back, telling ministers to "spare us the lecture".
He attacked the government for allowing soldiers to be sacked by email and said for the first time in decades the UK is unable to put an aircraft carrier into a conflict zone.
Murphy said the SDSR has not survived its first real world test and there are serious gaps in capability.
Fox said Labour should apologise for the black hole in the MoD budget and told Murphy that Labour's "own economic incompetence" is a national security liability.
David Hanson (Lab, Delyn) said any no-fly zone would need UN and Arab League support and asked if there is sufficient UK air power to support it.
Fox said Nato contingency plans for Libya include a no-fly zone, but there are three criteria: demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and the involvement and approval of regional powers.
He said the UK would not be planning for operations "if we did not have the assets to deploy".
Geoffrey Robinson (Lab, Coventry NW) raised reports that the US is "disinclined to pursue a political statement" in Afghanistan.
Fox said he spoke to US defence secretary Gates in Brussels a few days ago and we are "moving together" in a process of transition and there will be further announcements from President Karzai later this month.
He said the aim is an Afghanistan stable enough to manage its own internal and external security.
Shadow defence minister Michael Dugher said there is a danger in taking "equipment capability holidays", such as the nine-year "holiday" on carrier strike force.
Defence minister Peter Luff said Labour "just don't get it".
He said he regrets the capability gap which came about as a result of the "mess" created by the last government.
Julian Huppert (LD, Cambridge) said the UK took a strong role in talks about a new arms trade treaty, but called for "a more careful look" at the UK's exports, in the light of developments in Libya and Bahrain.
Defence minister Nick Harvey said the government backs the new treaty and said the UK has a "rigourous and transparent system" on arms sales and uses a case by case assessment against EU and UK criteria.
He said the "changing political situation means far more close monitoring" and the UK will honour the UN arms embargo on Libya.
He added there have been "no recent sales to Bahrain".
John Spellar (Lab, Warley) said skilled aerospace workers make a huge contribution to the economy, and the arms export criteria "should be current".
He said Indonesia has made huge advances in human rights and democracy.
Robert Halfon (Con, Harlow) said the close links between BT and Chinese telecoms companies could make us more vulnerable to cyber attacks from China.
Harvey said cyber defence has a high priority and a new UK global operations centre is up and running.
He said there will be a joint approach with industry because of the mutual reliance on networks.
Defence ministers were also asked about Trident renewal, the defence estate, children and the Afghan army, search and rescue helicopters and the use of armed forces ID cards as proof of identity.
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