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Defence: £25.2bn

November 23rd, 2011

The UK maintains the fourth largest military budget in the world and spends at least 2% of GDP on defence. Defence spending includes the maintaining of armed forces, buying military equipment and conducting overseas operations.

  • Reducing the purchase of new military equipment and better management of the Ministry of Defence’s land will bring down defence spending in line with reductions made to other public services.

    Pros & Cons

    PRO Such efficiency savings will not impact on UK’s defence capability or compromise national security.

    CON Efficiency savings are more long term and could lead to a decline in Britain’s influence and role in the world.

  • The Ministry of Defence owns 230,000 hectares of land and the rights to over a further 205,000 hectares to support of defence capability.

    Pros & Cons

    PRO The scaling back of the Armed Forces provides surplus land for other use such as the building of 20,000 new homes by 2014-15.

    CON The UK needs to remain prepared for military intervention. Reducing the land available to conduct training may hamper the capability of the Armed Forces.

  • Retain the current level of defence spending to maintain the same security provision both at home and abroad.

    Pros & Cons

    PRO Maintaining defence spending will ensure that the UK remains secure and resilient through reducing the likelihood of security risks.

    CON Despite on-gong global conflicts, large scale confrontations are in decline. The UK can increasingly act in co-operation with allies and therefore requires less personnel and equipment.

  • Cyber warfare such as hacking and online espionage is on the increase and is changing the nature of modern defence. Invest in increasing the UK’s capability for cyber operations.

    Pros & Cons

    PRO Investment will create a more advanced UK military capability to meet future security threats.

    CON While cyber warfare poses an increasing threat investing in such operations is costly at a time of more immediate economic concerns.

Submit your own policy

Do you have a better idea for a policy? Submit it in the text field below. (You still have to select one of the above choices). All ideas will be compiled with the most popular getting published in the Youth Budget 2012.

 

 
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