The government’s £285 million spend on Trident replacement announced on 11 March is an insult to those suffering from the £300 million cuts to legal aid, says CND, describing it as a "stark barometer of the government’s priorities."
This week, the Justice Select Committee warned that a third of domestic violence victims would be unable to access legal aid following huge spending cuts.
The Ministry of Defence’s announcement will see BAE Systems receive £257 million for further design work on the ‘Successor’ nuclear-armed submarines, while Babcock and Rolls-Royce will receive £22 million and £6 million respectively for work on the submarines’ nuclear reactors.
This release is a fraction of the £3.3 billion the MoD has said it will spend ahead of the parliamentary vote on Trident replacement expected in 2016.
CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said: "This £285m splurge is a stark barometer of the government’s priorities.
"Just this week, the Justice Select Committee warned of the consequences of the £300 million cuts to legal aid which have left a third of victims of domestic violence without access to justice.
"It’s boom time for the makers of nuclear weapons – while some of the most vulnerable in our society are left suffering by the wayside. This is a bleak snapshot of 21st-century Britain.
"‘David Cameron is content to spend billions in order to strut on the world stage with a Cold War weapon and an inflated sense of importance, while forcing those who are most in need to pay for it."
* CND http://www.cnduk.org/
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