Contributions
1,619 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSecret DocumentsI am not going to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the documents or their ultimate transmission to the BBC; that is for the inquiry team to determine. I…30 Jun 2021HANSARDSecret DocumentsAs far as the noble Lord’s question relates to the process of investigation, he will appreciate that I am unable to comment on any details pertaining to that. As I have already…30 Jun 2021HANSARDSecret DocumentsAgain, I have said that I am not going to comment on the content of the documents, but in so far as matters relating to HMS “Defender” are in the public domain, I will simply…30 Jun 2021HANSARDSecret DocumentsThe noble Baroness is posing questions about issues that it will be for the investigation team to investigate and determine and, to which it will need to find answers. As I have…30 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceYes, I can confirm to my noble friend that, to maintain the credibility of the deterrent and the minimum destructive power needed to guarantee that it does remain credible and…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceI can add little to what I said to my noble friend earlier, but I confirm to the noble Lord that we make a continuous assessment of threat—where it is emerging and what its…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceYes, I certainly echo the noble and gallant Lord’s respect and admiration for the crews on the Vanguard submarines. Every minute of every day of every week of every year, they…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceAs my noble friend is aware, the UK has neither a first-use nor a no-first-use policy, and to avoid simplifying the calculations of our potential adversaries, we will remain…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceMy Lords, the nuclear deterrent will remain essential for as long as the global security climate demands. No alternative system is as capable, resilient or cost effective as a…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceIt is not a new royal yacht; it is a new national flagship. I think that is a very good thing, if I must make my opinion clear. The noble Baroness is correct that the MoD will be…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceI refer my noble friend to the non-proliferation treaty, which the UK regards as a cornerstone of the international multilateral architecture on nuclear issues. Over 50 years on,…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceThe noble Baroness raises an important point. Most of us in this Chamber can recall the conviction of President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev that a…23 Jun 2021HANSARDDefence: Continuous At-sea DeterrenceAs the noble Lord will be aware, we are conscious of the obligations of seeing through the transition from the existing class of nuclear-armed submarines to the new Dreadnought…23 Jun 2021HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, it is a great honour to open this debate on Her Majesty’s gracious Speech on the important issues of foreign affairs and defence. I am delighted to be joined by my noble…19 May 2021HANSARDCarrier Strike Group DeploymentMy noble friend makes an important point. This entire deployment has been planned with a sharp eye on the possible implications of the pandemic. I reassure both my noble friend…28 Apr 2021HANSARDCarrier Strike Group DeploymentMy Lords, first, I genuinely thank the noble Lord, Lord Tunnicliffe, and the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, for their positive comments about the carrier and the carrier strike…28 Apr 2021HANSARDCarrier Strike Group DeploymentI reassure the noble Lord that we are satisfied that we will have sufficient maritime capability to deal with all the obligations that fall on us to keep the country safe and…28 Apr 2021HANSARDCarrier Strike Group DeploymentI should say to my noble friend that I do not share his somewhat pessimistic perspective. He will be aware that the defence budget is at unprecedented levels, which includes a…28 Apr 2021HANSARDCarrier Strike Group DeploymentI thank the noble and gallant Lord for his condolences regarding the tragic situation of the Indonesian submarine where so many lives were lost. I share these condolences, and I…28 Apr 2021HANSARDOverseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his comments, and for his warm personal comments to me as an individual, which I appreciate. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, and…28 Apr 2021