Tri-Service
MPs Demand Date For Trident Vote
A decision on whether Britain should replace Trident must be made urgently, say a powerful group of MPs.
In a letter to the Defence Secretary, members of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee have demanded a date for a vote.
The committee says there is currrently an unacceptable level of uncertainty in parliament and also the submarine industry. The letter reads as follows:
"There is growing concern in the Defence Committee—and more widely in Parliament—that the Government has yet to set a date for the debate and vote on the Vanguard Successor Programme.
"This is causing an unacceptable level of uncertainty not only for Parliament, but for the main contractors and their supply chains.
"The Committee would be grateful for an indication of when this long-anticipated vote is to be held and an explanation of any reasons for not proceeding forthwith, now that the political obstacles which existed in the previous Parliament no longer apply."
It comes as the former Commander of the Desert Rats, Major-General Patrick Cordingley, tells Forces TV that money for Trident would be better spent on conventional weapons (see above).
The committe has also written to the Defence Secretary to ask for details on the urgent refit of engines for the new Type 45 destroyers.
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