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1,831 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDStrategic Defence Review: FundingThe DIP is being finalised. As the noble and gallant Lord said, the DIP is on the Prime Minister’s desk, as he said recently at the Liaison Committee, and is being considered. The…16 Apr 2026HANSARDStrategic Defence Review: FundingAs the noble Lord will know, there has been a defence reform programme, which has led to the establishment of a national armaments directorate and a new national armaments…16 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillThe noble Baroness will know that we are not binning the treaty—I think that was the word she used. We will look to take it forward and discussions will continue; it just will not…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillMy noble friend makes an important point. As far as I am aware, numerous Members of your Lordships’ House have met the Chagossian community and numerous ministerial visits have…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI thank the noble Baroness for her initial comments. The point about the six people on the atoll we are talking about is that they are there illegally. You must have a permit to…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillAs I said to my noble friend Lord Boateng, discussions with the Chagossians are really important. Numerous meetings have been held with the Chagossians and those will continue in…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillMy understanding, reading it again in preparing for this Statement, is that there is no right of return as it stands at the present time in the existing arrangements. What is…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillAgain, to show my preparation for this, I have the exchange of notes in front of me. The noble Lord is right about the 1966 exchange of notes, but to reflect the change in the…14 Apr 2026HANSARDAtlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface OperationsI thank the noble Baroness, who always raises these issues, quite rightly, with respect to another part of the threat to us, which we need to deal with. She asked for the details…14 Apr 2026HANSARDAtlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface OperationsThe noble Earl will have heard me mention in my Answer to my noble friend the Lunna House agreement between us and Norway, which is a significant step forward in the co-operation…14 Apr 2026HANSARDAtlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface OperationsI am confident that the defence investment plan will come forward with a large number of investments, which, as the noble Viscount points out, will be vital to the future defence…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillLet me make one general point. The clash of opinion in this Chamber leads to better policy, done in the way that it is done. I respect challenge from wherever it comes, because…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillThe noble Lord will know that I will not go into all the detail that he referred to, but the point I am making is that it is a fundamentally important security base for us, the…14 Apr 2026HANSARDAtlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface OperationsMy Lords, as demonstrated by the operation that the Secretary of State for Defence described last week, our Armed Forces are continually ready to respond to threats against our…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI previously said that I asked directly before this debate whether any humanitarian assistance—14 Apr 2026HANSARDAtlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface OperationsI agree with my noble friend about interconnected threats. The important thing that flows from her Question is that, notwithstanding our focus on Iran, on Ukraine, quite rightly,…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillThis is a treaty between the UK and Mauritius with respect to the future of the BIOT, without the involvement of the Maldivian Government. If that is wrong, I will write to the…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI thank everyone for their warm welcome and for the opportunity to respond to those questions. It is an important debate. I say to the noble Lords, Lord Callanan and Lord Purvis,…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI think that medical assistance is humanitarian assistance. I asked whether any humanitarian assistance was prevented from going to the island where those six people are, and I…14 Apr 2026HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillThe noble Lord is one of the most esteemed Members of your Lordships’ House. There were 11 rounds of negotiation. On the fact that—to use the noble Lord’s words—they were not…14 Apr 2026