DEFENCE

THE Armed Forces are to be handed billion of pounds to tackle threats from terrorists and hostile states such as Russia.

The Prime Minister has said that the Government would do better on defence in the future to ensure the capabilities meet the changing threats facing the UK.

Details of the promise of billions in the next autumn Budget to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson came after Theresa May announced a cash injection of £800million to the Ministry of Defence.

The Treasury will release £600million from a contingency fund in the next financial year so it can go towards building a new class of submarines to carry the UK’s nuclear deterrent. This will free up money for operations and training, areas which would have been cut otherwise.

A further £200million will be made available to move forward certain projects this year, which in turn will give the department more room to spend money on other schemes next year.

Mr Williamson said that this is a welcome boost to our Armed Forces, ensuring that the country can be defended and in protecting our national interests with the ultimate capability. The Defence Secretary said that in an increasingly dangerous world we must strengthen our ability to counter the intensifying and evolving threats we face to keep Britain safe.

In the Commons, Mrs May said: “Today’s announcement will ensure the work to rebuild the UK’s new world-class submarines remains on schedule and is another sign of the deep commitment this Government has to keeping our country safe.”

The MoD is carrying out a defence review to examine which areas of the department need more money after dire warnings about the present state of the Armed Forces.

The Modernising Defence Programme comes after a wider Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.

The mini review will be published this summer and is expected to say that the MoD needs greater investment in more modern capabilities – and extra resources.

SOME within the military are calling the £600million boost for the Ministry of Defence a “minor miracle”.

The Prime Minister said the money would come from underspends elsewhere, adding that the work to rebuild the new nuclear deterrent remains on course.

With an increasingly belligerent Russia sending nuclear-capable bombers towards our airspace, and with their submarines haunting sea approaches to Faslane, this is surely a time for vigilance and internal unity.