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http://www.arrse.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=146014.html

The Conservative Party have asked for your questions for Dr Liam Fox, the party's Defence Spokesman. We'll be taking these proposals via our Yoosk page and Dr Fox will answer the most popular questions - as asked and voted for by you.

Regardless of which party you currently favour this is an excellent opportunity to take the debate that is a regular part of ARRSE onwards and upwards. Do please debate the questions and issues you would like to see addressed in this thread, but you must actually ask the questions via:

the ARRSE Yoosk Page (if you are a registered ARRSE user you will be automatically logged in)

www.arrse.co.uk/Yoosk.html

I'll now hand over to the Conservatives:

Quote:
The election is really hotting up now, with the most likely election date just a few weeks away.

Gordon Brown and the Labour Party have been in power for 13 years. So the choice facing servicemen and women is do you think another 5 years would be good for the Forces?

Dr Liam Fox - the Conservative Party's spokesman on Defence - doesn't think so. And he wants to hear what you think a Conservative Government should do in an exclusive Q&A with ARRSE users. You can ask him any question, and he will answer the top ones from each of
the following five themes:


* Afghanistan
* Defence budget (inc. Strategic Review)
* Veterans
* Welfare (inc. mental health)
* Families

DR LIAM FOX

Dr Liam Fox was born and raised in East Kilbride, Scotland. He worked as a GP - including five years as a Civilian Army Medical Officer in Beaconsfield - before becoming MP for Woodspring in North Somerset in 1992. He has been on the front bench throughout the Conservative Party's time in Opposition, including as Shadow Health Secretary from 1999-2003, Party Chairman from 2003 to 2005, and Shadow Defence Secretary since 2005.

CONSERVATIVE PRIORITIES

Should the Conservatives win the election, Dr Fox's first priority will be Afghanistan. Having a National Security Council which will act as a war cabinet will ensure that the war in Afghanistan gets the attention it needs from the highest levels of government. Furthermore, he will oversee the first Strategic Defence and Security Review for 13 years, which will be foreign policy led. A Conservative government will legislate to make these happen in each Parliament, so that there can never again be such a mismatch between commitments and resources. Alongside this, there will need to be wholesale restructuring of the MoD, with a radical overhaul of procurement. Getting the Armed Forces what they need, when they need it, at the best value for the taxpayer, must be the department's
focus and it is failing at the moment.

Dr Fox's welfare priority will be the creation of a through-life mental health service. The Military Covenant has been stretched to breaking point under Labour, so conditions for service families are crucial: a Conservative government will ensure, for example, that service families who move will retain their places on NHS waiting lists. Children of
service personnel killed on operations since 1990 will receive a scholarship and living stipend for further education. R&R will begin on arrival back in the UK, not on leaving bases abroad. And we will double the operational allowance paid to personnel serving in Afghanistan to recognise their hard work.