Contributions
1,451 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperMy right hon. Friend makes an important point. NATO, first and foremost, is the guarantor of European security; no other organisation is, and we do not forget that. Of course, we…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperFirst of all, yes, and we can. Secondly, if the hon. Gentleman really wants to know what is morale-sapping, it is something I experienced under his Government and, indeed, the…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out the challenges and opportunities around the high north, and indeed the growing activities of the Russian navy’s northern fleet.…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperI am afraid that I cannot, at the Dispatch Box, tell people about the credibility of our nuclear deterrent in detail, because to do so would undermine its security. However, I can…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperI do not think it does. When the hon. Gentleman’s party was in government, it did not reverse the reductions from the time that I was in the Army. As I have said throughout this…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperThere is the first bid, from my hon. Friend’s constituency. My hon. Friend is a doughty fighter for his constituents. He has consistently asked me to ensure that upgrades to the…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperIf my hon. Friend would like me to, I would be delighted to get him a briefing on the exact progress of that system. Automated mine-hunting can currently cover, in key points, far…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperFirst of all, there will not be any redundancies. This process can be managed over the next five years by reducing inflow on recruitment. Secondly, to ensure that people are not…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperMy hon. Friend is absolutely right that the reserves are really important; they are more important than they have ever been. Looking across the three services, we see that some…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperWe are not going to spend billions increasing the number of nuclear weapons. In 2016, the House voted collectively for a nuclear deterrent—I am sure the hon. Member did not, and…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperMy hon. Friend makes a really important point about how we operate to make sure that we not only defend ourselves but project our influence. Being present is half the battle. Our…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperIt will mean more opportunities for them to do the job that they have trained for to help to deliver Britain’s influence around the world. They will be able to go forward and…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperYes, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that there will be no change to that. We continue to invest in Northern Ireland equipment and engineering—only recently, we signed a £96 million…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperOne way in which our adversaries use sub-threshold activity is by corrupting or undermining a fragile state. By being able to deploy, either in support of partner host nations or…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperThe hon. Gentleman actually raises an important point. At the beginning of the Command Paper is a chapter about the global trends and the direction. Climate change poses a…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperI would be delighted to visit. We are investing in upgrading our Challengers and Ajax, and I would be keen to come to see how the engineering is done.22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperMadam Deputy Speaker, you will know, having been in the House for many years, that Governments do not publish the Attorney General’s advice. We do not believe in any way that we…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperObviously, detail around development, use and, indeed, deployment of nuclear warheads is a very sensitive subject. However, I will see what I can do to provide further briefing to…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperI am not quite sure whether the hon. Lady now belongs to a party that does want to belong to NATO or does not. If it does want to belong to NATO, which I think is its current…22 Mar 2021HANSARD Integrated Review: Defence Command PaperI think my right hon. Friend is very right about a lot of these things. A number of activities take place below the threshold of “violence” or “overt”. They are unacceptable. They…22 Mar 2021