Contributions
1,528 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRussia: Level of Threat to UKMay I echo your sentiments, Mr Speaker, about Sir George Howarth, and pass on the Opposition’s condolences to his family and friends? Also, for their first oral questions, I…06 Jul 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of Threat to UKThis is not good enough. The defence investment plan has completely unravelled because, despite it being many months late, the Government still have not worked out where they are…06 Jul 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsOn the day of its publication in June 2025, the headline promise of Labour’s strategic defence review was a commitment to buy “up to 12 attack submarines”. At the time, the Labour…06 Jul 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanI thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. After months and months of delay, we finally have the defence investment plan, but it is quite simply a case of…30 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI beg to move, That this House regrets the chaos in Government which means a temporary Prime Minister will be attending the NATO summit; further regrets that at such a dangerous…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThe DRI Minister admitted in his point of order yesterday that what he said last Monday was not true. He said that the Secretary of State “arrived back in London from Windsor…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessWill the Minister give way?23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessWill the Minister give way?23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI do not know what the hon. and gallant Gentleman is talking about. What investment in air defence? We procured Rapid Sentry. What does he think is being used on our bases in the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThank you, Mr Speaker. I informed your office about this issue earlier, because we feel it is very important.23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThank you, Mr Speaker. I have made the point and I hope Ministers are listening. It is particularly special to be debating defence today, on the second day of Armed Forces Week.…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessNoted, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, it is particularly special to be debating defence today, on the second day of Armed Forces Week. In Armed Forces Week, we recognise the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessMy right hon. Friend, who served in the Navy, was a Defence Minister and speaks with expertise, has made an extremely serious and important point. This is why we want to see the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessMy right hon. Friend—who also served in the Navy and as a Minister—speaks with great expertise. He is absolutely right to remind us that the problems with the defence investment…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI will come to that question when I have taken this intervention.23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThat is a nice try, but the question that the hon. Gentleman needs to answer is this: if things are so good, why did both the Secretary of State and the Minister for the Armed…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI will give way to my right hon. Friend in a minute, especially as I am coming to an area of policy that she knows only too well. As I was saying, we ask ourselves: why would the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessMy right hon. Friend is literally on the money. That is exactly right. It was a derisory increase to 2.68%, when the 2.6% figure already includes elements such as the intelligence…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI will in a bit, but first I want to make an important personal point. I did not have the privilege of serving in the armed forces, but I did have the privilege of being Defence…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI will take the hon. Gentleman’s question in the spirit in which he asked it. He is being very open and is asking the question: where are we going to get the money? We have been…23 Jun 2026