Oral Question

Mr. Nicholas Soames (Mid-Sussex) (Con): Is it not the case that the vital currency of our reputation has been undermined by the Prime Minister not accepting the recommendation by the Chief of the Defence Staff that 4,000 extra troops should be sent to Helmand if we are to do the job properly? Does that not affect our credibility when dealing with the Americans and other NATO allies?

Member Answering Question: The Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Defence:

Answer: I agree very strongly with the hon. Gentleman; our reputation matters a great deal to us, and it is with great reluctance that I contradict what he says. I assure him that there was no suggestion that we send 4,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The Chief of the Defence Staff-who is my principal military adviser, as he is of the Prime Minister-is content with the decisions that the Prime Minister has made, and we are now busy operationalising that in the most effective way possible.