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1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUS National Security StrategyI thank my noble friend for that. While we must not disregard, of course, statements that are made, I do think it important that we focus on the work we can do together in a…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyMy view on Churchill is very straightforward: we are immensely grateful, proud and in awe of the way he led this country through an incredibly difficult period in our history.…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyMy Lords, the Government’s ambition is to spend 3% of GDP on defence and 5% on security by 2035. On China, our position is clear and has been consistent, unlike that of the…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyWe are very close to our friends in the United States on the issue of Ukraine. We support the efforts to bring about the peace that President Trump is currently leading, and the…16 Dec 2025HANSARDBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, for his insight. The Committee benefits hugely from his knowledge and experience on this. This group of amendments relates to…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyI am sure that my friends and colleagues at the MoD will be undertaking such an assessment, and I will pass that request on to them. I think they are best placed to do that, but…16 Dec 2025HANSARDBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction BillMy Lords, this set of amendments relates to the operation and enforcement of the BBNJ agreement. This Bill establishes the core domestic legal framework required for the UK to be…16 Dec 2025HANSARDBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill16 Dec 2025HANSARDBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction BillWe are cognisant of what the noble Lord is alerting the Committee to; we just do not think that this is the right Bill to consider those things. Additionally, it is difficult to…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyClearly, it is for the United States to make its own assessment of risks to the US. We have, as my noble friend says, made our own assessment of the threat Russia poses. We do of…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyIt is right that the world has changed, and it had changed before the most recent strategy was published. Decisions had already been taken by this Government and others to…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUS National Security StrategyJimmy Lai ought to be freed, and freed immediately—we are clear about that. We will take any diplomatic steps that we need to take to reinforce that message. The Foreign Secretary…16 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaThe noble Lord knows that I am not going to talk about sanctions or whether we are about to lift or impose them, but it is absolutely true that Europe is one of the biggest…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaI can tell the noble Lord that the UK is not involved in any way in the activities of the US in this part of the Caribbean. I am struggling to see the parallel between the…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaIt will be updated if it needs to be changed; just because it has not changed does not mean it is not reviewed. Unfortunately, Venezuela is now in an “all but essential” category,…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaMy noble friend is right that there is a limited team currently in Caracas, but it is incredibly well led and very effective. It is also served by the country-based staff, who do…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaWe have been very clear in our support for Guyana on this issue, and these sorts of disputes must be resolved through the legal and diplomatic means which are available.…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaOur obligations to those in overseas territories are very different, and they are clearly prioritised in circumstances when disasters kick in. We have very limited diplomatic…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaI am not here to second-guess legal advice or the situation in regard to any specific incident in the Caribbean. What the US does with regard to Venezuela and its position on its…04 Dec 2025HANSARDUK Citizens in VenezuelaOne of the many tragedies of this situation is that Venezuela ought to be a prosperous, stable country that is able to provide a good life for its citizens; that is not the case.…04 Dec 2025