Local MP Caroline Dinenage today pushed the Government to commit to the continued presence of HMS Sultan in Gosport in the run up to the next Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). One of Caroline's first major campaigns on being elected to Parliament was the successful blocking of attempts to move the engineering school to Wales, and she has consistently pressed the Government to commit to keeping the facility in Gosport.
Speaking in the Chamber Caroline said, "The Secretary of State will be aware of HMS Sultan in my Gosport constituency which is the Royal Navy's School of Marine Engineering, and also was the first Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishment to have received an outstanding OFSTED report. Can he confirm that sites like this which are not only incredibly valuable to the MoD but also to local communities will continue to be valued as part of the SDSR?"
Responding, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, "Well I certainly appreciate the valuable and positive benefits that all defence education and training facilities do provide to the armed forces. I'm not aware of any plans to alter this establishment, and I know that my Hon. Friend met my Ministerial colleague last week to discuss it further."
As part of her ongoing commitment to retaining military jobs in Gosport Caroline recently met with Defence Minister Anna Soubry to discuss the future of MoD sites in Gosport.
Speaking outside the Chamber Caroline said, "We have a long and proud military tradition in our area, so I'm delighted that the Minister has confirmed that there are no plans to move this outstanding school away from Gosport. HMS Sultan provides training that is second to none to over 5,000 sailors every year; I will keep pushing the Government to make sure that as we approach the next SDSR there are no plans to move this thriving training facility."
