Tough decisions ahead on defence spending

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth today defended the government's decision to reverse the planned cuts to the Territorial Army, saying that Afghanistan remained the government's top priority. Skip related content

He said that "tough" choices still had to be made on defence spending following last weeks u-turn on cuts to the TA training budget.

During defence questions, Ainsworth said that the TA played a key role in the UK's strategy in the Afghan war.

"The Territorial Army has made a vital contribution in Afghanistan since 2001, they've worked with and supported our regular forces in a wide variety of roles," he told MPs.

Ainsworth added the government may send an extra 500 troops to Afghanistan if certain conditions were fulfilled, including "burden sharing" across coalition forces.

Shadow defence minister Andrew Murrison said cuts to both the army cadets and officer training corps had put at risk regular recruitment and the quality of TA.

In response Ainsworth said that the Tories were unwilling to make the necessary decisions on defence spending.

"There are tough choices that need to be taken and if people are to present themselves as capable of government then they have to be prepared, as I think the shadow chancellor knows, prepared to take those tough choices," he said.

"I think it is clear that the defence team are not."

Lindsay Hoyle (Lab, Chorley) called on the government to rebuild the trust between the TA and regular forces to ensure that such cuts were not incurred again.

He said: "Congratulations on the common sense decision on reversing that cut."

Ainsworth also welcomed the decision of the Independent Election Commission in Afghanistan to cancel the proposed run-off election and declared Hamid Karzai as President.

The decision to cancel the election he said had been welcomed as "there was no point in a second round when the decision had in effect been taken".

Ainsworth's former aide Eric Joyce (Lab, Falkirk) said UK troops' presence should be linked to a tie with a promised of reform by President Karazai.

In response the defence secretary said: "We need, now that we have got an end to this election period, to prevail upon the Afghan government to be inclusive, to build good governance in the various different parts of the country.

"Because unless the Afghan people can see a government that is of benefit to them then all of the efforts of our brave forces are not going to get us very far."