Contributions
909 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD UK Defence Industry: ProcurementYes, indeed. I join the hon. Gentleman in commending, and reaffirming our commitment to and admiration for, those 10,000 defence jobs. He rightly points out that they exist…22 Jun 2022HANSARD UK Defence Industry: ProcurementI am happy to recommit our determination to ensure that SMEs are a part of our collective success. I am sure that the Minister for Defence Procurement will be delighted if I…22 Jun 2022HANSARDLGBT Veterans ReviewThe pre-2000 ban on LGBT personnel serving in the armed forces was totally wrong. In January this year, the Government committed to deliver an independent review to properly look…22 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentI am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s question. The answer is yes. I note, with particular regard to the long-standing nature of his interest in the issue, his comments about…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentThat is a very pertinent question. We are doing much more. The recipe for success is much more energy towards capacity building for the Ukrainians, which is why we are now in…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentThat is an interesting question. Clearly the dividend for China in the immediate term is a great deal of much cheaper energy, and I am sure that it will reap the benefit. In the…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWe acknowledge Turkey’s concerns. Work on the matter is led by the Foreign Secretary and others, and I am sure that it will be on the agenda next week in Madrid. My expectation is…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWe have considered what we need. We have more money than ever before, with an additional £24 billion, which is delivering a more lethal, better protected, more mobile and readier…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentThe hon. Lady makes a very good point. This is turning into a war of attrition. It will last as long as President Putin has the mistaken conviction that, by killing people in the…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWe are doing that. We are investing in our defence. The overall defence budget has increased radically. It is £24 billion more than it was in 2019. The bottom line is lethality…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWe always keep these matters under review, but what we have at the moment is a good plan to deliver a great deal of new and very effective capability for the spend that we have. I…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWe will not allow that to happen. We are increasing our enhanced forward presence, which is very significant. We will be committing a company group into Bulgaria, in addition to…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentThat is a very good question. Those discussions are under way. My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary visited both countries very recently to initiate those discussions. We…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentMy right hon. Friend should rest assured that every sinew is being strained. I think some of the time has been taken up in the necessary provisions—for example, the operatives…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentIt is not more for less; it is doing more with more, because we have a £24 billion uplift. Defence expenditure is going up, and I hope the hon. Member appreciates that.20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentWhat we are doing is ensuring that commercial production is radically accelerated. The hon. Gentleman will know how complex and multifaceted that is. I am not pretending it is…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentI am grateful for that question, which shows that Putin is losing: his bluster is illustrative of his massive loss of confidence. He thought he was going to get less NATO because…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentThe hon. Member makes a good point, and I agree with the sentiment. We sincerely hope—this is already happening—that these criminals, and they appear to be criminals in many…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentOf course we consider all scenarios in the Department. We still regard that as a very unlikely possibility, but the Ministry of Defence, like everyone else in defence, is always…20 Jun 2022HANSARDUkraine: UK and NATO Military CommitmentI am confident. A significant increase in money is delivering new capabilities to make our people more lethal, more agile, and more mobile. That body of work has been under way…20 Jun 2022