Contributions
735 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD 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 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 was attempting to answer a great many questions from the shadow Defence Secretary and did not reach that one, so the hon. Gentleman is right to raise it with me again. The deal…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractYes, I can assure my hon. Friend of that. This is the biggest deal that Rolls-Royce has ever signed. It is a long-term commitment between the Government and Rolls-Royce. It…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractIn the spirit of unity—that pun is becoming a bit wearing, but I have just used it, too—I very much agree that the foundation of security and deterrence is a key part of us being…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractYes, I can confirm that. MOD spending already supports over 200,000 jobs directly, and many more besides, and my hon. Friend has set out an example from his constituency. The…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractThe hon. Gentleman, as ever, is fighting for his constituents. He makes some good points about Harland and Wolff and skills. We do have defence contracts based at Harland and…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Unity ContractMy hon. Friend is right that there is great potential for economic growth in all of our nations and regions, and in every one of our constituencies, in respect of the extra…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 commend my hon. Friend for holding a roundtable; I have done a few of those around the country lately. It is quite illuminating to hear what comes back, particularly from small…24 Jan 2025HANSARD UK Submarine FleetI echo the many comments that you have already heard about what a pleasure it is to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I hope we are providing one of the most interesting…15 Jan 2025HANSARD UK Submarine FleetI am going to have to go back to my officials and interrogate them about what the possibilities are in Belfast. It is not a place where submarine work or nuclear work has…15 Jan 2025HANSARD UK Submarine FleetI knew I would get it wrong. My hon. Friend also mentioned the efforts of her constituents in contributing to this national endeavour. The backlog of 23 decommissioned submarines…15 Jan 2025HANSARD UK Submarine FleetI can, of course, confirm that. We are more than willing to look at any suggestions that any hon. Member might have. I would like now to try to answer some of the specific…15 Jan 2025HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy: SMEsWe are delivering for defence, boosting spending by £3 billion in real terms this coming financial year. I hope that more of our procurement spend can go to SMEs. The defence…06 Jan 2025HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy: SMEsI do not disagree at all. I look forward to visiting the right hon. Gentleman’s constituency and to seeing the potential of firms. He is completely correct that clusters of…06 Jan 2025HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy: SMEsNeither of the ships has been at sea for years—one since 2022 and the other since 2017—and neither was due to go back out to sea before their out-of-service date. The question of…06 Jan 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes. My hon. Friend will know that the report was produced under the previous Government. Its findings were set out under the previous Government, and I think they announced that…06 Jan 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes.06 Jan 2025HANSARDDefence Industrial Strategy: SMEsI recognise the hon. Gentleman’s point. It is certainly true that exports are important, in addition to production for our own use. We are working very hard on the export…06 Jan 2025