UKNDA (UK National Defence Association)
To campaign for sufficient, appropriate and fully funded Armed Forces that the United Kingdom needs to defend effectively this Country, its people, their vital interests and security at home and throughout the world.
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UKNDA warns against Government's 'sticking plaster solution' to armed forces under-funding |
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NEWS RELEASE
12 March 2008: Release time immediate
£2BN "STICKING PLASTER" IS NOT ENOUGH TO PLUG GAPS LEFT BY YEARS OF CHRONIC UNDER-FUNDING
The United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA) has welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his 2008 Budget that he is making a further £2bn available for defence, to be spent on troops in the frontline, including £900m on military equipment, but is warning that this may be "too little, too late".
Commander John Muxworthy, Chief Executive of the UKNDA, commented: "While the armed forces will be greatly relieved to know that the Government is committing additional funds for military equipment for our troops on the front line, the funding is little more than a temporary 'sticking plaster' solution for a much bigger problem - year after year of chronic under-funding of the nation's defence and our overstretched armed forces."
The UKNDA, whose patrons include three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff - Lords Guthrie, Craig and Boyce - is calling for a total 40% increase in the defence budget, to bring spending on the armed forces up to 3% of GDP.
"Government Ministers continually tell us that defence is their number one priority, but this is clearly not the case in practice", added Cdr Muxworthy. "In fact it is not even in the 'Top 5' of Government expenditure, and is dwarfed by the big spending departments. This is not good enough when Ministers are risking the lives of British servicemen on a daily basis, and when so many of the fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan have been down to lack of appropriate equipment."
-Ends
For further information please contact: Cdr. John Muxworthy, CEO, UKNDA, tel: 01264 860693, email: ceo@uknda.org, or Andy Smith, PRO, UKNDA, tel: 07737 271676, email: pro@uknda.org
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