CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

TREASURY – DEFENCE EXPENDITURE - 17 November 2022

TREASURY – DEFENCE EXPENDITURE - 17 November 2022

Dr Julian Lewis: I welcome what the Chancellor just said about his focus on mortgages and avoiding repossessions. On the need not to send the wrong signal about defence expenditure, I note that he skilfully linked that to a future defence review. When would that defence review come to fruition, and in the meantime will he guarantee that there would be no real decrease in defence expenditure?

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Jeremy Hunt): I would expect my right hon. Friend to look forensically at any comment that I make about defence. I was very clear in my words, first, that the Prime Minister and I recognise the need to increase defence spending, and secondly, that the update to the integrated review needs to happen before the spring Budget. This is not pushing something into the long grass; it is making sure we get the decisions right.]