Armed Forces "Cut Back On Use Of Mobile Phones" To Finance Nuclear Deterrent

The armed forces have been forced to cut back on car hire and the use of mobile phones in order to help raise £300m to finance the renewal of the nuclear deterrent.

Lt Gen Mark Coffey said that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been forced to make the cutbacks in order to comply with budget constraints.

But he warned that these “small incremental hits” to the quality of life of serving personnel were likely to impact retention rates.

He added: “We are conscious that if you damage morale how that potentially manifests itself in the role of retention rates.”

Reports in October that suggested the Army had been forced to make 100m in cutbacks in order to ensure the Trident programme had sufficient funding.

It comes as Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood told a Defence Select Committee hearing on Wednesday that the MoD needs more money to ensure personnel and their properties are "looked after".

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that the government’s commitment to meeting NATO’s target of spending two per cent of national income on defence is a minimum for the UK and not a ceiling.

He said that his focus is on making sure Britain has the right capabilities, and that he wants to make the right decisions as the Modernising Defence Programme moves forward.

He added the priority is adapting to deal with modern-day threats.