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1,319 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Personal StatementsWith your permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a personal statement on my resignation as the UK Defence Secretary. Many in the media have pressed me to say more since Thursday, but…16 Jun 2026 · 4d agoHANSARDArmed Forces WorkforceI am today announcing the Government’s decision to accept in full the 2026 pay award recommendations for armed forces remuneration made by the independent Armed Forces Pay Review…09 Jun 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Recruitment and RetentionThere is a serious point behind my hon. Friend’s question. Armed forces numbers are growing. We have turned the corner on recruitment and on morale, as he says, and satisfaction,…01 Jun 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of ThreatI agree with my hon. Friend that we are right to seek a closer relationship with the European Union, which has an important contribution to make, from within a “NATO first”…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe must spend more, we must spend faster—and we will, as the Prime Minister has said. On our nuclear deterrent, I am proud that this Government are putting £6 billion, in this…01 Jun 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Recruitment and RetentionIt will be before the Bill is due for its next stage in Parliament, which is Committee stage in this House.01 Jun 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of ThreatThe hon. Gentleman is entirely wrong in his assertion and his facts. With the Attorney General, I led a meeting of the 10 joint expeditionary force nations’ legal military…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes.01 Jun 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Recruitment and RetentionThe hon. Gentleman is right. Recruitment to our forces has for too long been beset by delays. There is no shortage of young people who want to join the forces, but those delays…01 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence BondsI remember that for at least six months after the election, the hon. Lady and her party were urging us to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. We have done better than…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe are urging both sides to scale down their activity and respect the ceasefire so that the current ceasefire agreement in the wider middle east can be translated into a permanent…01 Jun 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of ThreatOn the contrary, this is deterrence in action. I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman does not recognise that we supported the French operation and were proud to do so. Defence…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Gentleman may not have heard me when I answered before, but I can say to him very clearly that the Prime Minister is determined that we publish the defence investment…01 Jun 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of ThreatRussia poses a significant and persistent threat to UK and Atlantic security. Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine is now in its fifth year, and Russia conducts hostile…01 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence BondsThis Government are making the biggest increase in defence investment since the end of the cold war. This year alone, we have more than £11 billion more in the defence budget than…01 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence BondsAs I mentioned in a previous answer, we are indeed looking to participate in, and be able to take advantage of, the European Union’s loan scheme for Ukraine. That is a way in…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsFirst, we are directing defence investment first to British firms that increase British jobs and increase apprenticeships, skills and opportunities for young people. Secondly, we…01 Jun 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of ThreatI completely agree with my hon. Friend. We are doing more to expose the threats, and will do more still. The Russian threat against the UK is real and rising, and it is important…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsWith deep regret, I should inform the House that a training accident occurred in northern Iraq yesterday in which a member of service personnel from the British Army died. The…01 Jun 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Gentleman has a brass neck. There is no recognition of the fact that we are increasing defence spending by a record amount since the end of the cold war, no recognition…01 Jun 2026