Contributions
1,406 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLGBT Veterans Independent ReviewThe Canadian scheme offered sums ranging from 100,000 Canadian dollars to 5,000 Canadian dollars depending on what happened. It was tiered in a way that gave a range of awards…13 Dec 2023HANSARDLGBT Veterans Independent ReviewI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. I gently remind him that it was this Government who set up the Etherton review, and it is this Government who are carrying out the 49…13 Dec 2023HANSARDLGBT Veterans Independent ReviewMy right hon. Friend is right that testimonies are vital. Those testimonies will ultimately be lodged in the National Archives and they will be part of our national story. I urge…13 Dec 2023HANSARDLGBT Veterans Independent ReviewWith permission, I would like to set out the Government’s formal response to Lord Etherton’s LGBT veterans independent review. The treatment of those armed forces personnel…13 Dec 2023HANSARDResponse to the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for VeteransI am making this joint statement my behalf and on behalf of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Moor View (Johnny Mercer). We are…11 Dec 2023HANSARDNuclear Test Veterans: Medical RecordsThe hon. Lady is right. I understand that one out of the 150 documents references an individual by name. I do not know why that is; it could have been a mistake. That is why I…28 Nov 2023HANSARDNuclear Test Veterans: Medical RecordsThere is a list of 150 files of data that the Atomic Weapons Establishment said in September that it holds, and they contain reference to blood and urine. I have a list here; it…28 Nov 2023HANSARDNuclear Test Veterans: Medical RecordsIt is difficult to prove a negative, but the overall conclusions of the researchers from Brunel University are clear. In the interests of transparency, it is worth pointing out…28 Nov 2023HANSARDNuclear Test Veterans: Medical RecordsI start by congratulating the hon. Member for Salford and Eccles (Rebecca Long Bailey) for bringing this debate and for her tireless championing of the cause of nuclear test…28 Nov 2023HANSARDNuclear Test Veterans: Medical RecordsI am relying on the evidence that was published last year—the study of 114,000-plus veterans who have been followed up over 65 years. I cannot account for the remarks of the…28 Nov 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, and I am seeing a bilateral committee with veterans and the Nepalese ambassador on Wednesday. This is an ongoing process. The hon. Gentleman…20 Nov 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am very grateful to my hon. Friend for her question, and I reiterate once again my thanks for all the hard work she has done on behalf of women in defence. She is quite right:…20 Nov 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am disturbed to hear that the hon. Gentleman’s constituent has not received his medal, because they have been minted and distributed. If he would like to write to me with the…20 Nov 2023HANSARDMinistry of Defence Guard ServiceI am grateful to the hon. Lady. The new way of working was passed through the trade union consultation process, of course, and in terms of pay, pension, leave and sickness…20 Nov 2023HANSARDMinistry of Defence Guard ServiceThere is no evidence that the operational MOD Guard Service employment contract has had a material bearing on workflow, recruitment and retention. However, it is not possible to…20 Nov 2023HANSARDArmed Forces Personnel: RecruitmentMy hon. Friend is absolutely right that recruitment to the armed forces is mixed—some of it is good, some of it less good—across the western world. We are struggling to recruit…20 Nov 2023HANSARDMinistry of Defence Guard ServiceThere is no evidence— [Interruption.]20 Nov 2023HANSARDArmed Forces Personnel: RecruitmentWe remain committed to maintaining the overall size of the armed forces and recognise the importance of recruitment to achieve that. We are responding to immediate challenges with…20 Nov 2023HANSARDArmed Forces: Skills for the FutureThe Ministry of Defence actively engages with the devolved Administrations to align education, skills and development, and will continue to do so, using the UK-wide pan-Defence…20 Nov 2023HANSARDArmed Forces: Skills for the FutureMy hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I enjoyed my relatively recent visit to Harrogate. More than 95% of all non-commissioned recruits across the armed forces are offered…20 Nov 2023