MP warns against 'sea-blindness' in maiden speech
MP Penny Mordaunt has used her Parliamentary maiden speech to urge the government to support an 'unappreciated' Royal Navy.
The Conservative MP for Portsmouth North made the speech on Monday evening, telling the House the senior service is vital to the UK, and calling for ministers not to be 'sea-blind' in the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.
She said: 'The spirit of service is as strong as ever in the Royal Navy, but the senior service has often felt under-represented and unappreciated.
'The navy makes a huge contribution to our ability to trade, hydrographical and meteorological services, tackling crime and providing help in times of crisis. The breadth of its role should not detract from the depth of its contribution to the defence of the realm — continuous at-sea deterrence, delivery of commando force and air assets and mine counter-measures are but a few of its roles.'
Ms Mordaunt had already asked questions and contributed to debates in the House since her May 6 election, but the eight-minute speech was her first official statement to the Commons.
In her speech she made the traditional references to her predecessor in the constituency, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, whose work to keep Portsmouth naval base open and viable she praised.
She said: 'We must not be sea-blind. We face tough challenges and calls for immediate cuts. To close the gap between (the navy's) need and affordability and preserve the development and maintenance capability we want in our bases and dockyards, we need a planned but flexible approach. The review must listen to the drum beat of production in UK yards and seize every opportunity to strengthen UK exports.'
The MP argued for ending delays to production when ships are ordered, starting with the Type 26 frigates, due to enter service in 2020.
She said: 'The decision to slow the rate of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers increased costs by 600m. Lessons should be learned.
'We could have laid down nine destroyers, supplying the Navy with what it needed, allowing the yard to maximise returns on its investment and ensuring the defence budget was sustainable.'
Ms Mordaunt was the last of The News' region's three MPs to make their maiden speech. Gosport's Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage used her speech on June 9, to call for better transport and housing in her constituency, as well as to criticise the closure of Haslar Hospital. The following day, Meon Valley's MP George Hollingbery (Con), welcomed plans to return powers on house-building to local authorities.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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