[Anne-Marie Trevelyan: ... I am also delighted that the Gracious Speech has confirmed that we will continue to meet our NATO commitment to spend at least 2% of national income on defence, though it is safe to say that, as a member in the last Parliament of the Public Accounts Committee, which focused on all matters defence – from the equipment plan to the reconfiguration of our defence estates and, most importantly, the continued and right support for serving personnel, veterans and their families – I shall be raising questions about whether that 2% is really enough and following in the footsteps of the former Member for Aldershot.]

Dr Julian Lewis: I gently remind my hon. Friend that the 2% is the result of low management of expectations. As late as 1995-96 – long after the end of the cold war – we were spending no less than 3% of GDP on defence, and many of us think we ought to do that in future.

[Mrs Trevelyan: I thank my right hon. Friend for his intervention. We are at one on that. We can and perhaps should be doing much more to ensure that the Treasury can support the Ministry of Defence in the work it has to do. ...]