Contributions
4,303 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDefence and SecurityI do agree that our alliances are important, and that is why NATO is the bedrock of our approach. It has been for many, many years and will continue to be. I do accept that…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityLet me begin by giving my word to this House that the statement was not given to the media. I will absolutely have an inquiry into that. I spoke to you, Mr Speaker, this morning.…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityYes, that is hugely important, and we will ensure that we do so. I had a family member who served and whose ship went down, and I will never forget the agony that my mother went…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityI did not mean to imply that in the statement; I was referring to the security strategy. The SDR is well under way, and as soon it has been completed I will put it before the…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityThe hon. Gentleman is right to raise the question of Northern Ireland. It is important for this to be a whole-United Kingdom effort and contribution, and for us to ensure that…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityI thank my hon. Friend for his commitment to international development. He is absolutely right about that, and we will of course work across the House on alternative and…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityI do agree with that, and I agree with my hon. Friend’s comments about the supply chains, which are vital to the security effort.25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityThe hon. Lady is right to say that prevention is better than war—that is why it is important that we prepare our defence to be able to secure and maintain the peace, and that is…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityI thank the hon. Gentleman for his support. We already work closely with Norway on defence and security, and we want to enhance and strengthen that, which the bilateral…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityIt is a difficult decision—there is no getting away from that—but we cannot have a situation in which Members of this House stand up and support 2.5%, heading to 3%, and then…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityMay I first thank the Leader of the Opposition for her support in relation to today’s announcement and on Ukraine? That is important to the Government, to the House and, most of…25 Feb 2025HANSARDMachinery of GovernmentI am making this statement to bring to the House’s attention the following machinery of government change. On 4 September 2024 I announced that the Government would respond in…13 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsI am very pleased that my hon. Friend has raised this issue, and that we will be able to give employers more flexibility on maths and English requirements. This is really…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsThe Conservatives presided over record high levels of immigration. It reached nearly 1 million. It was a one nation experiment in open borders. The right hon. Lady was the…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsWe have long had the principle in this country that everybody is entitled to legal representation, which means that lawyers do not necessarily agree with their clients.…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsMy days with the Croydon Youth Philharmonic Orchestra were a long time ago now, but we fully recognise the importance of youth services. They save lives and help young people to…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsI am going to struggle to sound delighted with the result of that particular football match, but it will be a special day for Newcastle fans. The Tyne bridge is an iconic…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsI set out the position in relation to the Chagos islands last week. I also offered the Leader of the Opposition a high-level briefing on this matter. She still has not taken me up…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsI thank my hon. Friend for raising this really important issue. Hospital admissions for allergies have risen sharply in the last two decades. I welcome the work of the Natasha…12 Feb 2025HANSARDEngagementsI have already said that the Home Secretary has already got her team working on closing this loophole. We do not need to wait for that; we are getting on with that, because we are…12 Feb 2025