Defence Committee
Tuesday 19 December 2006
Members present:
Mr James Arbuthnot, in the Chair
Mr David S Borrow
Mr David Crausby
Linda Gilroy
Mr David Hamilton
Mr Dai Havard
Mr Adam Holloway
Mr Bernard Jenkin
Mr Brian Jenkins
Mr Kevan Jones
John Smith
1. Defence Industrial Strategy update
The Committee considered its lines of inquiry.
2. Iraq
Resolved, That the Committee meet jointly with the Foreign Affairs Committee to take evidence from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence, on Iraq, on Thursday 11 January.
3. Future of NATO and European Defence.
Resolved, That the Committee inquire into the Future of NATO and European Defence.
4. A400M programme
Resolved, That the Committee inquire into the A400M programme.
5. Visit to UK defence industry
Resolved, That the Committee visit defence industry facilities in Edinburgh on Monday 29 January 2007.
6. Armed Forces Bill: proposal for a Service Complaints Commissioner: Government response
The Committee considered this matter.
Draft Special Report [Government Response to the Fourteenth Report from the Committee, Session 2005-06: Armed Forces Bill: proposal for a Service Complaints Commissioner] proposed, by the Chairman, brought up, read the first and second time, and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Second Special Report of the Committee to the House. Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House.Ordered, That the Government’s response to the Fourteenth Report from the Committee of Session 2005-06 be appended to the Report.
7. Oral evidence
Defence Industrial Strategy update: Lord Drayson, Minister for
Defence Procurement, Mr David Gould, Deputy Chief Executive,
Defence Procurement Agency, and Mr Amyas Morse, Defence
Commercial Director, Ministry of Defence, and Mr Mark Gibson,
Director General Enterprise and Business Group, Department of
Trade and Industry, gave oral evidence.
Adjourned till Thursday 11 January 2007 at 3.00 pm.