Examination of Witnesses (Question Numbers
393-399)
MR QUENTIN
DAVIES MP, GENERAL
SIR KEVIN
O'DONOGHUE AND
VICE ADMIRAL
PAUL LAMBERT
15 DECEMBER 2009
Q393 Chairman: Minister, good morning.
Mr Davies: Good morning, Chairman.
Q394 Chairman: Would you like to
introduce your team, whom we have met before?
Mr Davies: With great pleasure,
although I think they are well known to the Committee. On my left
is General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, who is Chief of Defence Materiel
and Head of the DE&S, the Defence Equipment & Support
organisation, and on my right is Vice Admiral Paul Lambert, who
is Head of Capability. They are my two principal collaborators.
Q395 Chairman: Can we begin by asking
about the timetable for the various equipment announcements that
are coming over the next few months because we have a statement
this afternoon, as I understand it, we have something coming out
next month, and at some stage we are going to have a decision
on Trident? Tell us what the general timetable is if you would
not mind.
Mr Davies: Chairman, the only
things I can say to you are that a statement was made this morning
which you know about, which you have received, about helicopters,
and an oral statement is being made by the Secretary of State
this afternoon in the House, I assume at 3.30, on the future defence
spending plans for the coming year. Beyond that we do not have
any timetable for any particular set of announcements, but obviously
we will make announcements from time to time as soon as we are
able to make them.
Q396 Chairman: What was this statement
about helicopters this morning?
Mr Davies: There was a statement,
I understand, put out this morning about helicopters; is that
right? It was a written ministerial statement.
Q397 Chairman: When is that going
to get to us?
Mr Davies: I am rather surprised
it has not got to you.
Q398 Chairman: So am I.
Mr Davies: I am told that the
Committee should have received it by now. I do not know why that
has not happened, Chairman, I am sorry.
Q399 Chairman: This is a poor start,
if I may say so, because we are having an equipment hearing in
front of the Defence Select Committee. You have known for weeks
that you were going to make a helicopter announcement, you have
known pretty much what it was, and yet you come before us today
and you say you are surprised we have not had it. Well, we have
not had it. What is this announcement? Can you tell us roughly
what is in it?
Mr Davies: Chairman, we will try
and get a copy of it to you right away. Let me just say first
of all that it is not correct that we have known for weeks what
these announcements were going to involve—
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