Contributions
1,831 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceThe whole House will totally agree with what the noble Lord said about the abhorrent antisemitic attacks in Golders Green, which were absolutely disgraceful and should play no…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceI say to the noble and gallant Lord that, of course, we await the defence investment plan, but we are not waiting for it before we do things. I have pointed out the investment we…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceMy noble friend makes an important and good point about instability in other regions. Obviously, the focus at the present time is on the Middle East, but clearly we can see…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceI was hoping the noble Lord was going to start with the Leonardo announcement, which he pressed me for in terms of spending; we pocketed that one and moved on. Leonardo was a huge…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceAs the noble Viscount will know, discussions continue around that. As the British public consider the threats that they face and the turmoil in certain parts of the world, there…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceMy Lords, noble Lords will be aware that the Secretary of State for Defence will shortly make a Statement in the other place, and I will not pre-empt what he will say. However, I…23 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceIt is very urgent to have that conversation. I think everybody understands and accepts that. I go back to the noble Lord’s point about defence spending; it requires that…23 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceThe noble Lord raises a couple of points. First, as a counterpoint to the point about China, if we are talking about Mauritius, the biggest friend it has got is India rather than…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceWe had no request from the region for a Type 45 destroyer. We made our own sovereign decision, on the basis of the intelligence and of the threat we perceived, to get a Type 45…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceI thank the noble Lord for the comparison with James Callaghan; I appreciate that. The serious point is that we are all patriots in here. I would not question anybody’s patriotism…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceMy Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Goldie and Lady Smith, for their important tributes to our Armed Forces. There is no division between any of us in our admiration for…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceThat is the whole basis of how the British Government are operating and of the decisions we are taking. The noble Baroness is quite right that the decisions we take are in the…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceI join my noble friend Lord Robertson in the tribute to our Armed Forces and I thank him for the points he made about the way in which the Government have acted and the various…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceThe Foreign Office will no doubt have heard the noble Baroness’s request about Iranian diplomats. She will also know that the Foreign Office called in the Iranian ambassador to…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceI thank the right reverend Prelate for the point about the briefing. We try to have as many briefings as we can so that people can keep up to date with the MoD’s thinking, and…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceThat is a very important question. Of course we speak to the United States. The permissions we have given are very clear. Nobody wants to see civilian casualties, and we talk to…11 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: DefenceAll I can say to the noble Lord is that the UAE was at the briefing discussion we had in the MoD earlier, and we are working with the UAE as well as other allies to defend the UAE…11 Mar 2026HANSARDIran and the Middle EastI was trying.09 Mar 2026HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy 2025: Economic Growth and Job CreationI agree with that. It is really important for the defence industrial strategy that we liaise with all the devolved Governments and, as my noble friend says, with local devolved…03 Mar 2026HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy 2025: Economic Growth and Job CreationI accept the point with respect to the publication of the defence investment plan. As the noble and gallant Lord will know, that will be published as soon as it is ready. Look at…03 Mar 2026