Contributions
1,528 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Point of OrderOn a point of order, Mr Speaker. You know how strongly the House feels about the Government’s decision on the Chagos islands. The Defence Secretary has made it very clear today…11 Nov 2024HANSARDDefence: 2.5% GDP Spending Commitment(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.11 Nov 2024HANSARD Remembrance and VeteransWith respect, I think the hon. Gentleman misses the point of my speech. As I said at the beginning, I am here to talk about remembrance, and I sincerely believe that the best way…28 Oct 2024HANSARD Remembrance and VeteransI join the Secretary of State in congratulating our brilliant Royal Marines on their 360th anniversary. This timely and important debate coincides with Mr Speaker’s official…28 Oct 2024HANSARDUkraineI thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. I offer my condolences and those of Opposition Members to the family and friends of Corporal Christopher Gill,…22 Oct 2024HANSARDStrategic Defence ReviewThank you, Mr Speaker. I associate all of us in my party with your comments about the late Alex Salmond. The most important point about the SDR is that it must not be used as an…14 Oct 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsThousands of children of armed forces personnel face unaffordable increases to their school fees because of this Government’s ideological decision to charge VAT on education. That…14 Oct 2024HANSARDStrategic Defence ReviewThat is a concern. In 2010, just to remind the House, the black hole in the defence budget was bigger than the defence budget, and we were left a note saying that there was no…14 Oct 2024HANSARDUkraineI am grateful to the Secretary of State for early sight of his statement, and for the briefings he has provided to me and all parliamentary colleagues. I associate myself and my…10 Sept 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesI am very grateful to the Minister. Can she confirm that there will be no delay to the Ministry of Defence’s currently planned spending on GCAP this year?24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesMy right hon. Friend, who not only served on the Committee but was an Armed Forces Minister, makes an excellent point. There are those who argue that we should go beyond 2.5%; I…24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesMay I associate the shadow Defence team with the remarks from the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition about the terrible attack on a British solider in Kent? Our thoughts…24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesMy right hon. Friend’s question is an interesting one. Whenever I was in front of the Select Committee—it was always a great joy and privilege to be cross-examined, particularly…24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesI am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman, who is an absolute champion of the defence industry in Northern Ireland. He is right: one of my last visits was to the Thales factory in…24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question, but I do not regard it as a strange partnership. All my experience of dealing with GCAP and meeting my Italian and Japanese…24 Jul 2024HANSARD International Immunities and PrivilegesOf course—it is a pleasure.24 Jul 2024HANSARDForeign Affairs and DefenceIt is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone)—although I must say that I have never confused him with Jeremy Thorpe—and to see…18 Jul 2024HANSARDService AccommodationThe hon. Lady is welcome to send me a copy of that report, although I am not sure it is entirely impartial. I look forward to reading the conclusions— [ Interruption. ] Presumably…20 May 2024HANSARDService AccommodationThat is entirely why we are investing in our estate. I have mentioned the importance of the additional £400 million, and that is not abstract. It has enabled us to make a real…20 May 2024HANSARDArmed Forces: Security ThreatsWe have considerably strengthened the UK’s defence in recent years and the Prime Minister’s announcement to increase defence spending to 2.5% signals our intent to invest further…20 May 2024