Contributions
1,320 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI welcome the right hon. Gentleman’s echo of my pride in the way that the UK, under his Government and stepped up again under this Government, has led on Ukraine, and his echo of…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateThe hon. Gentleman speaks with military experience, and he is one of the authoritative voices in this House, so I respect what he says. I just say respectfully to him that that is…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateYes, I believe I can. This Government are proud of the fact that this year we have provided the highest ever level of spending on military aid directly to support Ukraine. We are…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMadam Deputy Speaker, thank you for encouraging short questions and short answers. My hon. Friend is right on both accounts: part of the British and European frontline is in the…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI am sure that the US and the US military will welcome the strong support from the Scottish nationalists for their operation, and the congratulations that the hon. Gentleman…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI welcome my hon. Friend’s observation that national security is founded on economic security. Economic security is dependent on strong national security; as an MP from the proud…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI think my hon. Friend would not expect me to be able to, or to be prepared to, answer hypothetical questions. What I can say to her is that if the US, as our closest defence and…07 Jan 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2025I have today laid before Parliament the 14th armed forces annual covenant report, delivering the statutory duty of the Secretary of State for Defence under the Armed Forces Act…16 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe were talking about the strategic defence partnership agreement. We wanted to follow that up with an agreement on Security Action for Europe, but that proved impossible to…15 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI fundamentally disagree with the hon. Gentleman. In June, the strategic defence review recommended that Britain consider becoming part of NATO’s dual-capable aircraft nuclear…15 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI refer the right hon. Gentleman to the speech that the Chief of the Defence Staff will make tonight, in which he will argue that the price of peace is rising. He will set out…15 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe right hon. Gentleman will recognise that the strategic defence review pointed out that we must do more to take seriously our homeland defence, and we are. It pointed out that…15 Dec 2025HANSARDNATO Defence Expenditure TargetThis summer, the UK joined all other 31 NATO nations in agreeing the new NATO benchmark of 5% spending on national security by 2035. That followed this Government’s announcement…15 Dec 2025HANSARDNATO Defence Expenditure TargetWe have committed to the target of 5% by 2035, like all 31 other allies. This Government have already put in an extra £5 billion in the first year and will hit 2.6% by 2027—three…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDefence Spending: Economic GrowthThe House will know to take no lessons from the right hon. Gentleman. When he was in government, his munitions strategy was often promised and never published. His drone strategy…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDefence Spending: Economic GrowthWe signed the European Union security and defence partnership in May. We committed ourselves to negotiating with the European Union for access to the SAFE funding arrangements.…15 Dec 2025HANSARDNATO Defence Expenditure TargetIf the hon. Member wants to trade records, his Government had 14 years to raise defence spending; it falls to this Government to raise it back to 2.5%—the level it was at in 2010,…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDefence Spending: Economic GrowthWe are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the defence investment plan. Even though the hon. Gentleman is a new Member of this House, he will…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDefence Spending: Economic GrowthThe answer is simple, and it is the same one I gave to the hon. Member for North Devon (Ian Roome). We are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the…15 Dec 2025HANSARDDefence Spending: Economic GrowthI do indeed. The hon. Gentleman knows as much about defence as anyone else in this House, and I pay tribute to him for his work on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation. The…15 Dec 2025