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HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitMy Lords, although the next spending review will determine the exact changes to defence spending priorities, as the Prime Minister stated at the NATO summit last week, we need to…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitAs the noble Lord is aware, AUKUS is subject to an 18-month scoping period, so Her Majesty’s Government cannot prejudge the outcome of that period. Similarly, in the advanced…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitThe Prime Minister has made it clear that the investments we propose to embark on, such as AUKUS and FCAS, will mean that defence spending will reach 2.5% of GDP by the end of the…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitTo reassure the noble Lord, I tell him that the pack was read, digested and tabbed, but unfortunately it was not where I was. I was very pleased to be reunited with it. What we…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitMy noble friend refers to an important issue: how we transport that grain, if possible. Discussions are taking place among the different partner countries as to what solutions…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitI thought someone was going to answer the question for me; all offers of help gratefully received. My noble friend identifies a significant issue that was the subject of extensive…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitAs I have indicated to the Chamber, there is a regular assessment by the MoD of both the threat we have to meet and the means by which we meet it. For example, the equipment…06 Jul 2022HANSARDDefence Spending Priorities: NATO SummitAs the noble Lord is aware, people will have varying views on the appropriate percentage of GDP to spend on defence. We have laid down a clearly structured plan based on the…06 Jul 2022HANSARDArmed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2022My Lords, I thank your Lordships for the warmth of sentiment. I think we articulate a conjoined view of admiration for our Armed Forces. It is very important to our Armed Forces…05 Jul 2022HANSARDArmed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2022I thank the noble Lord and apologise for failing to pick up on his question first time round. I have good news to share. The Henriques report was, frankly, excellent, and pivotal…05 Jul 2022HANSARDArmed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2022My Lords, today we have a small though essential piece of parliamentary business to conduct: our annual consideration of the legislation governing the Armed Forces. First, I…05 Jul 2022HANSARDArmed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2022It is probably important to distinguish between discipline, which is one of the tenets of our UK Armed Forces, and operating according to a code of behaviour and under a chain of…05 Jul 2022HANSARDArmed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2022That the draft Order laid before the House on 13 June be approved.05 Jul 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsThey are very different ships, as the noble Lord will understand. The intention is that the National Shipbuilding Office for the MROSS will seek to maximise the opportunities for…22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsThe noble Lord will not be surprised to learn that I do not share his pessimism. I am tempted to ask under which government regime shipbuilding was in such a poor state. Thanks to…22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsMy Lords, with the new multi-role ocean surveillance programme announced in the defence Command Paper of 2021 currently in its concept phase, and the national flagship programme…22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsThe noble Lord manages to induce a bit of pessimism in me. These two ships are a very important addition to the fleet.22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsAs the noble Lord is aware, maritime activity in the Black Sea is governed by the Montreux convention, which Turkey has deployed. For the moment, that restricts activity. The…22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsI remind the noble Lord that the defence budget has one of the biggest settlements, from this Government, that it has seen in decades. That includes a period when the noble Lord…22 Jun 2022HANSARDRoyal Navy: ShipsI will take the last question first. My noble friend is aware that very strict procurement rules now govern MoD procurement, and that the budgets for the Type 26 and Type 31 are…22 Jun 2022