Contributions
1,451 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDreadnought ProgrammeOn 9 May, I visited my hon. Friend’s constituency and we went to see the Dreadnought programme. He was with me when I signed the delivery of phase 3, the most important phase of…13 Jun 2022HANSARDDreadnought ProgrammeMy hon. Friend is right. In Barrow, they are doing some of the most complex engineering on earth, and it is breath-taking and a huge achievement. Not only are we rolling out the…13 Jun 2022HANSARDAjax ProgrammeBut not the same questioner, Mr Speaker. General Dynamics has proposed changes to Ajax to address noise and vibration problems identified in the vehicles. The changes have been…13 Jun 2022HANSARDAjax ProgrammeGiven the legal weighting of that question, I think it best if I write to the right hon. Gentleman with the detail. I would not want to say anything at the Dispatch Box that would…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsNone.13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis year commemorates all those who fought in the Falklands conflict. We should not forget the sacrifice made by many to liberate those islands from an aggressive Argentinian…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes a strong point on behalf of the Welsh soldier, the Welsh airman—RAF Valley is on Anglesey—and the Welsh Navy. The Welsh are at the forefront of our responses…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI know that the hon. Lady will be familiar with the phrase “dodgy dossier”, because I remember that her party produced one, historically. The procurement dossier that Labour has…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes, it is. We committed £6.6 billion to research and development in the defence Command Paper to make sure we are fighting not yesterday’s battles but tomorrow’s. We are taking…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe simple reality is that we do not know how many ex-soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. Obviously, at the beginning of the conflict, we all publicly made statements to try to…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsLet me respond to the right hon. Gentleman’s last point first. No one has said that I will not do the same. What I have said is that we are threat-based. We have in fact increased…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI think the hon. Gentleman could have written that 20 years ago, when his party was not delivering a national shipbuilding strategy or anything like one, did not have a…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes, I pay tribute to the right hon. Lady’s constituent and thank him for that work. We often forget that it was not just the Army, the Marines and the frontline Navy; it was also…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsOn that last question, I am happy to confirm the previous announcement that we now have General Nesmith on the Army Board, the first woman to hold that position. I think the hon.…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes, I think we would.13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsTaiwan is obviously a clear and growing point of tension in the Pacific. I regularly speak to our allies, both in NATO and further afield, about those tensions. Here in the United…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI remember, in my formative years politically, asking the late Mr Bruce Kent a question when I was at school. I do not think I asked the question very well, and I do not think he…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right. If Britain stands for anything, it is that no matter whether 8,000 miles away in the south Atlantic or in Ukraine, Britain will stand up for its values…13 Jun 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI was there only a few weeks ago. I think the whole House would like to give our thanks to the armed forces for the work they did over that weekend and for all the hours of…13 Jun 2022HANSARDUK Nuclear DeterrentFour new Dreadnought class submarines will enter service from the early 2030s, and we will replace the current nuclear warhead. We keep our nuclear posture under constant review…13 Jun 2022