Contributions
271 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Third sitting)I would like to make some brief comments in support of amendment 15. We should reflect on how the divorce rate is much higher for service personnel because of the vagaries of…26 Mar 2026HANSARDForeign Financial Influence and Interference: UK PoliticsI thank Philip Rycroft for his review and the Secretary of State for the announcement today. I am particularly happy that we have this idea about it being retrospective and…25 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Second sitting)I agree with the hon. Lady. In the spirit of cross-party working, I say that we all support our veterans, and I think that the strides that the Government have made are fantastic.…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Second sitting)The shadow Minister is exactly right. We have used a few metaphors today, including that of mental health as a journey. Another metaphor is that mental health is a garden that has…24 Mar 2026HANSARDOil and GasWill the shadow Minister give way?24 Mar 2026HANSARDOil and GasI congratulate the hon. Gentleman on having the largest wind farm in Europe in his constituency.24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)Does my hon. Friend agree that, since the heart of the covenant is about establishing parity and equity of service provision for all serving personnel and veterans, we must…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)Nobody wants a serviceperson or veteran to return to the back of the list. That would be completely contrary to what we are trying to do. Equally, if they were sixth on the list…24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Second sitting)It is a pleasure, after lunch, to continue serving under your chairship, Mr Efford. [ Laughter. ] That was not meant to be funny, but I suppose the best way to be funny is to be…24 Mar 2026HANSARD DefenceI thank my hon. Friend for giving way. I would just like to draw— [Interruption.] Do Conservative Members want to hear this?24 Mar 2026HANSARD DefenceThank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, is he not? The egg is now on the other face, and Conservative Members are very excited. Which of the…24 Mar 2026HANSARD DefenceWell, they will hear it anyway.24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)Perhaps it would be helpful to explain that it is a floor, rather than a target.24 Mar 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (First sitting)In the same vein, we see the Bill as part of our constitutional duty, and one that will help us to deliver the best for our service personnel—an aim that we all share. I echo the…24 Mar 2026HANSARD DefenceOn an Opposition day, one would expect His Majesty’s loyal Opposition to put together a cohesive critique of Government defence policy. Instead, what we have is a shopping list—a…24 Mar 2026HANSARDUkrainian Refugees: Permanent Settlement12. If she will take steps to provide Ukrainian refugees with a route to permanent settlement.23 Mar 2026HANSARDUkrainian Refugees: Permanent SettlementI know that the Minister will listen carefully to this question because he used to live in Tunbridge Wells. Elena is a Ukrainian woman who works in our local hospital. She has not…23 Mar 2026HANSARDIsles of Scilly: TransportMy hon. Friend is making a powerful case for his constituents. Does he agree that this is a problem not just for the Isles of Scilly, but for the Isle of Wight and the Western…17 Mar 2026HANSARDDefence: UK AlliesTEK Military Seating in Tunbridge Wells designs and exports military seating. It risks losing a £400,000 order to a customer in the United Arab Emirates because it lacks the…16 Mar 2026HANSARD Strait of HormuzContrary to what some less well-informed voices from the Conservative Benches have been saying, short of putting ground troops into Iran, there is no military solution that…16 Mar 2026