I made the following intervention in a debate in Westminster Hall this afternoon on the future shape of the Armed Forces, tabled by former soldier and new MP for Aldershot, Leo Docherty.

I know that a lot of constituents are concerned about the size of our overseas aid budget and whether it is providing value for money as part of the UK's international work. I wanted to make clear in this debate my own view that we should allow much greater flexibility in departmental budgets such that the Ministry of Defence, Foreign Office, Department for International Trade and the Department for International Development can share or pool resource abroad in order to focus on the UK's strategic priorities.

To watch the full debate, take a look at parliamentlive 

Andrew Bowie Conservative, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

A strong, flexible, globally deployable Royal Navy is vital. The future make-up of our armed forces must reflect that, and not only for the reasons that I have set out. If we truly want to be at the forefront of the war on drugs or the war on terror, and to be a nation that does not shirk from its international responsibility to provide humanitarian aid to parts of the world ravaged by natural disasters, we need a senior service that is equipped with the tools, and manned with the people, to do the job.

Julia Dockerill Conservative, Hornchurch and Upminster

Flexibility has been a watchword in this debate. Would my hon. Friend support flexibility in the budgets of Government Departments engaged abroad? I would like to see aid, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, defence and security budgets interlinked, to allow us to focus on the most pressing priorities in each country where we have a presence, rather than seeing each Department working on their own independent causes without the proper co-ordination that is sometimes required.

Andrew Bowie Conservative, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

I very much agree with my hon. Friend’s sentiments on that point.