Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the Written Ministerial Statement on the Modernising Defence Programme, said:

“It is disappointing and somewhat unsurprising that the Government has failed to publish anything substantive or detailed from the Modernising Defence Programme in spite of previously committing to do so by the Summer Recess.

“We have seen the chaos caused by the Tories’ deep cuts to defence in 2010, followed by unfunded, over commitment in 2015, so we hope that this delay means that the Review will be well thought out, really deal with the issues faced by MoD and properly funded. Anything less than that will simply not be acceptable to Parliament, our Armed Forces or the country.”