Dec 09. Parliament: Christmas and Spring Recesses. Both Houses of Parliament are due to rise for the Christmas Recess on 16 Dec 09, returning on 5 Jan 10. Parliament will then rise for the Spring Half Term Recess on 10 Feb and return on 22 Feb 10. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/47, 14 Dec 09)
Dec 09. DEFENCE EQUIPMENT. On Tuesday 12 January 2010 the Committee will take evidence on its Defence Equipment inquiry. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster (room subject to change). Oral evidence will be taken from:
At 10.30 am
Bernard Gray
Iain Evans, Chairman, LEK Consulting At 11.30 am (approx)
Ministry of Defence
Rt Hon Lord Drayson, Minister for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform
Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB, Permanent Secretary
16 Dec 09. The Defence Select Committee today publishes a short Report on national security and resilience. This is in response to the Government’s reply to its May 2009 Report on The Defence contribution to national security and resilience.
The Committee is disappointed with the content of the Government’s response to its earlier Report, and challenges the Ministry of Defence to be more open in setting out its role in contributing to the nation’s security.
In its Report, the Committee:
*Calls upon the Government to provide regular updates on national security to appropriate select committees;
*Deplores the Government’s failure so far to establish a Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy following the announcement of July 2008; and
*Stresses the importance of the forthcoming defence Green Paper and Strategic Defence Review in making the necessary and important connections between national security and strategic defence capabilities.
Commenting on the Report, Committee Chairman, the Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP, said: “We feel that the Ministry of Defence has let itself down in responding so poorly to our May 2009 Report on national security. The Department has a good story to tell, and the country would welcome reassurance that our Armed Forces are an integral part of the Government’s strategy to defend the country from terrorist or other attacks. The next Government must spell out more clearly the role of the UK’s defence assets in our national security.”