Category: Defence

Matt Hancock – 2021 Comments on the Armed Forces Helping with Vaccine

The comments made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 4 January 2021.

We are enormously grateful to the Armed Forces for lending their support to these important community testing programmes. Around one in three people with coronavirus showing no symptoms, asymptomatic testing is crucial to identifying those who might be unknowingly infected, and protecting our most vulnerable.

These community testing schemes are part of a national testing programme with millions of lateral flow tests arriving in schools tomorrow, for the testing of students and staff, to add to the hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic tests currently being conducted in care homes, across the NHS and in critical infrastructure workplaces and food manufacturers.

While the Army, alongside thousands of medical professionals and volunteers, help roll out the vaccination programme, we must remember that the first line of defence against the virus remains to wash our hands, cover our faces and keep space.

January 4, 2021
Ben Wallace – 2021 Comments on the Armed Forces Helping with Vaccine

The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 4 January 2021.

The new year will see new levels of Armed Forces support to overcoming this pandemic. Thousands of service personnel are working throughout the United Kingdom, wherever they are needed to assist the civil authorities.

Manchester is the latest of those tasks and will be an important contribution to protecting the highest risk groups as the city seeks to recover. As a North West MP I am acutely aware of the considerable time many of us have been labouring under some form of lockdown and I hope our soldiers will help us get to the day when these restrictions will start to lift.

January 4, 2021
Jeremy Quin – 2021 Comments on the Carrier Strike Group

The comments made by Jeremy Quin, the Defence Minister, on 4 January 2021.

This is a hugely significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy and the whole country. This achievement is a testament to the determination of our service personnel and industry workforce who have delivered this first-rate military capability, a capability held by only a handful of nations. I wish the entire Carrier Strike Group well ahead of their first operational deployment this year.

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[the below is from the press release issued today]

The CSG has reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC), meaning all elements of the group from fighter jets to radar systems to anti-ship weapons have been successfully brought together and operated.

Both the air and naval elements of the CSG have now met this milestone, which includes qualified pilots and ground crews being held at short notice for carrier-based operations and trained to handle weapons and maintain the equipment.

Another marker of success at this stage includes the ability to deploy Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities such as frigates and destroyers, as well as both fixed and rotary wing aircraft including Merlin helicopters to operate alongside the carrier.

January 4, 2021
Michael Fallon – 2017 Comments on Diversity in the Armed Forces

The comments made by Michael Fallon, the then Secretary of State for Defence, on 26 October 2017.

We are working hard to ensure the Armed Forces, like our cadets, better represent the society they serve but there is still much more to do. We want more sailors, soldiers and airmen to come from minority and ethnic communities. More diverse armed forces are a stronger armed forces; that has to start amongst the junior ranks and work all the way up to chief of the defence staff.

December 31, 2020
Michael Fallon – 2017 Comments on A&P Tyne

The comments made by Michael Fallon, the then Secretary of State for Defence, on 30 October 2017.

It is very encouraging to witness the renaissance of shipbuilding around the UK first hand. Having helped build our new aircraft carriers and the Astute Class submarines, A&P Tyne have the skills and expertise to bid for our brand new class of frigates.

The whole industry is clearly excited about the opportunity to build cutting-edge ships for our growing Royal Navy, which will protect our nation and interests across the world.

December 31, 2020
Michael Fallon – 2017 Comments on Flexible Working in the Military

The comments made by Michael Fallon, the then Secretary of State for Defence, on 30 October 2017.

Keeping Britain safe means investing in our personnel as well as in new equipment. More flexible working is essential to a modern military, allowing us to recruit the best talent and retain those already serving, while always being ready to deploy as commanders require.

The military must offer conditions of service that keep up with those available in other lines of work. This change will significantly make it easier for women with children.

December 31, 2020
Michael Fallon – 2017 Comments on British Soldiers in Estonia

The comments made by Michael Fallon, the then Secretary of State for Defence, on 30 October 2017.

Nobody should be in any doubt of our unwavering commitment to the security of Europe through NATO in the face of Russian belligerence.

In the face of intensifying threats, the UK has stepped up across Europe, with soldiers, tanks and Typhoons deployed from Estonia to Romania.

Our enhanced Forward Presence is a strategic tripwire that we will maintain on an enduring footing.

December 31, 2020
Ben Wallace – 2020 Comments on Afghan Staff Being Allowed to Stay in UK

The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 29 December 2020.

Nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK Government to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

As the situation in the region evolves, it is only right we do more to protect local citizens who stood shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces.

As a former soldier I know the bond between the brothers who fight by our side. These Afghans stood by us and risked their lives to make a better country. We owe them a debt and I am proud that the Home Secretary and I can finally close this chapter and thank them for their service.

December 29, 2020
Gavin Williamson – 2020 Comments on Army Helping with Testing in Schools

The comments made by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 29 December 2020.

It is a true cross-government effort to make sure secondary schools and colleges have the support, guidance, materials and funding they need to offer rapid testing to their staff and students from the start of term.

I am grateful to the armed forces personnel, and all the school and college staff, leaders and volunteers working to put testing in place. This will help break chains of transmission, fight the virus, and help deliver the national priority of keeping education open for all.

December 29, 2020
Ben Wallace – 2020 Comments on Army Helping with Testing in Schools

The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 29 December 2020.

The UK Armed Forces are stepping up once again this holiday. This week I have authorised over a thousand Armed Forces personnel to assist schools returning after the Christmas break.

They’ll share considerable experience of testing across the country and the successful school pilots conducted this autumn.

We are grateful for the professionalism and commitment they and our colleagues in teaching are showing to get students back into the classroom and on with their education.

December 29, 2020