Contributions
1,118 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDService Family AccommodationThe right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: that is not good enough. When we get into the details on the specific numbers of properties that have been left without heating and…20 Dec 2022HANSARDService Family AccommodationMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. She has experienced, through her own mailbag, the impact on the families of service personnel. I have experienced that myself in Cheltenham.…20 Dec 2022HANSARDService Family AccommodationIssues of recruitment and retention are, of course, broad-based and multifactorial. All sorts of issues go into determining levels of recruitment and retention, but the hon.…20 Dec 2022HANSARDService Family AccommodationThere are two issues here. First, there is the issue of the overall quality of the stock. I have spoken about the fact that that does need to improve. In fact, the £350 million to…20 Dec 2022HANSARDService Family AccommodationI am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising the situation in her constituency. Built within the contract is an understanding that should contractors fail to meet what is known as…20 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence JobsIt is very important that the House is not misled in any way. It is not the case that the bulk will be built in Spain. Quite the opposite: the majority will be built in the United…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence JobsI listened very carefully to that question but, with respect, we will not take lectures from an SNP Government who put a ship in the water in 2017—a ferry that has now failed to…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesAs is always the case, the precise details of the contract will be set out in due course, but these facts are absolutely clear: the award is of £1.6 billion to deliver three…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesThe defence and security industrial strategy is helping to retain onshore critical industries for our national security and our future. The Ministry of Defence supports the…12 Dec 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Innovation is essential and we are supporting it through initiatives such as the defence and security accelerator and the defence technology…12 Dec 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is a fantastic champion of steel. I agree with her. The support ship competition winner has indicated that it intends to use UK-sourced steel whenever practical…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesMy hon. Friend is such a champion of defence on Ynys Môn, and yes, I absolutely pay tribute to them. It is only through their fantastic work that we can come together as a nation,…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesWith great respect, that is completely wrong and risks being misleading. What has been made crystal clear is that these ships will be built, integrated and assembled in the United…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. So many of these collaborations lead to direct investment into British shipyards—for example, the over £70 million that we were just talking…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesNo, I do not. I am new to this Department, as the hon. Member indicates, but one of the things I am really pleased about is to see the ambition that exists within this Government…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesMy hon. Friend makes the point brilliantly. This is about investing in capability to ensure that expertise remains in the UK, and that we learn and collaborate in developing the…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Sector: Support for UK CompaniesI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising such an important point. He is absolutely right; this provides a capability that will ensure that we stay one step ahead of our…12 Dec 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI was pleased to note an additional £560 million provided from the recent settlement to replenish precisely those stocks. Also, the production lines to re-procure some of the very…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence Business ServicesYes, of course, I will meet the hon. Gentleman. But there have actually been some good and constructive conversations with the unions, I am pleased to say, about trying to assist…12 Dec 2022HANSARDDefence JobsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I pay tribute to him for taking the time to visit the Northwood military headquarters. There are 1,600 active service personnel at…12 Dec 2022