Contributions
735 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHMS Albion and HMS BulwarkNeither HMS Albion nor HMS Bulwark were due to go to sea ahead of their out-of-service dates in 2033 and 2034. The Royal Navy is exploring options to sell both HMS Albion and HMS…10 Feb 2025HANSARDNew Medium HelicopterThe new medium helicopter competition is at the evaluation and approval stage. If everything goes well, I anticipate a contract award later this year, subject to all the usual…10 Feb 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe have taken many steps to try to improve the capabilities of the Ukrainians when it comes to drone technology, and I am perfectly happy to look at the point that the hon.…10 Feb 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am more than happy to join my hon. Friend in making those points. He is right that we must fully support defence companies and their personnel, and we must ensure that…10 Feb 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am very happy to acknowledge my hon. Friend’s point. I met many apprentices late last week at the launch of National Apprenticeship Week. Whichever factory I visit, I meet…10 Feb 2025HANSARDNew Medium HelicopterThe hon. Gentleman is right: some of these programmes can take a long time to get to contract. In fact, this programme experienced delays in securing outline business case…10 Feb 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI look forward to meeting my hon. Friend shortly when I visit some of those businesses in her constituency. The defence industrial strategy is the way in which we will seek to…10 Feb 2025HANSARDDefenceMy hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Chris Evans) was passionate in making his points about late payment; this is not the first time that he has raised that issue in…30 Jan 2025HANSARDDefenceMy hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Chris Evans) was passionate in making his points about late payment; this is not the first time that he has raised that issue in…30 Jan 2025HANSARD Defence Procurement: Small and Medium-sized EnterprisesI will certainly do that, Mr Stringer. This debate has been excellent, and it is good to see so many colleagues in the Chamber to participate, even if they could not make the…28 Jan 2025HANSARD Defence Procurement: Small and Medium-sized EnterprisesI agree with that and I think there would not be too much disagreement across the House of Commons about that. I think it is something we can agree on, and that we should try to…28 Jan 2025HANSARDFairey Swordfish Mark III have today laid before Parliament a departmental minute describing a gift which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) intends to make to the Fly Navy Heritage Trust Ltd. Since 1960, the…27 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He is right that there is much innovation in the defence industries in our nations, and often with dual-use technology, which means…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI am not sure that is even the policy of the Conservative party—the shadow Defence Secretary can confirm whether that is the case. If I may say so, it is a bit sleight of hand to…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractMy hon. Friend is right that skills are key, which is why this deal has established a defence nuclear skills academy to ensure that 200 apprentices a year can benefit from gaining…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI very much agree with my hon. Friend. Our defence industries are largely based outside of London and the south-east and are in all our nations and regions. Quite often they are…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI welcome the hon. Lady’s support for the deal and for our continuous at-sea deterrent; that has not always been the Liberal Democrats’ position, so I welcome the fact that…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI very much agree with what my hon. Friend has said, and I fondly remember that visit to his constituency during, I think, the general election campaign. Defending the country is…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI opened the centre in Glasgow that has some of those jobs, and I can assure the hon. Lady that it is well under way, and although the Cardiff centre is not quite up and running…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractI completely agree with my hon. Friend’s point, which is that SMEs form a central part of our industrial base and can do more, if we encourage and enable them to do so, to boost…24 Jan 2025