The Argentine minister, who on Friday night will deliver a speech at Canning House, reiterated his country's "surprise" at the announcement by Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, that £180 million would be spent over the next ten years to reinforce Britain's defence of the archipelago. The military presence will remain the same, at around 1,200 people, and the Islanders themselves say that the money is simply an upgrade of existing, ageing infrastructure.