Contributions
735 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI cannot say precisely whether any of the 100 companies that are UK-based suppliers on this programme are in my hon. Friend’s constituency or his region—I will have to go away and…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementMy hon. Friend is correct. This is a dual-capability aircraft, which will not only be used to fly NATO nuclear missions but be available to do training and all the other things…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementThe hon. Gentleman is correct that one cannot just buy aircraft and not train the relevant people—whether they be pilots, engineers or ground crew—to deal with the necessity of…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementPart of our commitment to defence reform is to try to improve our procurement and acquisition to ensure that we meet our contract aspirations more quickly and to give us more…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementThe hon. Gentleman is correct. Anything that can bring in-service dates forward slightly by planning and training in advance is something that we will be in favour of trying to…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI would argue that defence spending is there to create peace, not to fight wars. It is cheaper to deter wars than it is to end up fighting them, so I would argue that our…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementIt is compliant with the non-proliferation treaty. The NATO nuclear mission has as a governance the NATO nuclear planning group of 31 allies—everybody gets a say—so it is not a…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNational Armaments DirectorI am not making any announcements today, but I have heard what the hon. Member said, and I want these matters dealt with more swiftly than in the past. He needs to listen out,…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNational Armaments DirectorI thank all those who have spoken in the debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for North Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown) on obtaining it, very properly in Armed Forces…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementFirst, what I have announced today is compliant with the non-proliferation treaty—25 Jun 2025HANSARDNational Armaments DirectorWhat the hon. Gentleman said at the beginning of his speech was very simple, I must say. I understand the point that he has made, although I have not seen the answers to which he…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNational Armaments DirectorThe hon. Member is going to ask me about the new medium helicopter.25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementWe are not seeking to widen our range of nuclear capability. We are joining the NATO nuclear mission and contributing to that. As I said earlier, this is not some kind of stepping…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNational Armaments DirectorI mean, the right hon. Gentleman has only just walked in. If he wants to start heckling me, I am happy to have a discussion with him in the Tea Room afterwards, but there is no…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementThe ringfenced Defence Nuclear Enterprise budget is not for purchasing aircraft; it is for dealing with our submarines. It is a fair question—I hope that that is a clear answer.25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI am not sure I quite understood that question, Mr Speaker. What I can say, though, is that we do not normally confirm or deny where nuclear weapons might be stored. It is not…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI commend my hon. Friend’s Royal British Legion branches who are getting on with what many of us are doing in Armed Forces Week, which is attending events that show our…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementFor clarity, I did not say that this order was in addition to our already committed tranche of F-35s. I said that we were substituting what would have been 12 F-35Bs with 12…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI cannot confirm the anticipated in-service date beyond saying that we are hopeful that we will get the aircraft as soon as possible and that we will be able to use them as soon…25 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear-certified Aircraft ProcurementI do not think the previous Government were committed to buying Typhoons, so I do not see why the hon. Gentleman should be so outraged by the fact that after less than a year, we…25 Jun 2025