My Lords, I put it to the Minister that it would have been better to have had the conversation with the public before we put out the policy, so that we had rolled the pitch and people understood the nature of the threat. I welcome, therefore, what he is saying...

My Lords, I put it to the Minister that it would have been better to have had the conversation with the public before we put out the policy, so that we had rolled the pitch and people understood the nature of the threat. I welcome, therefore, what he is saying...

My Lords, does my noble friend the Minister accept that there is a significant problem of access to finance for the defence industry, particularly for medium and small enterprises, driven partly by absurd bans on investment in our national defence by financial institutions? Given the failure, frankly, of the City and the Government to address this systemic problem, should we not at least give serious consideration to, and engage in discussions on, this initiative from the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney?

My Lords, does my noble friend the Minister accept that there is a significant problem of access to finance for the defence industry, particularly for medium and small enterprises, driven partly by absurd bans on investment in our national defence by financial institutions? Given the failure, frankly, of the City and the Government to address this systemic problem, should we not at least give serious consideration to, and engage in discussions on, this initiative from the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney?

My Lords, I take account of the point raised by the Minister regarding the direct threat from Iranian territory. However, is there not a long-standing concern about the increasing grip of jihadist groups in northern Africa with the ability to be supplied by Iran, given that they are already often...

My Lords, I take account of the point raised by the Minister regarding the direct threat from Iranian territory. However, is there not a long-standing concern about the increasing grip of jihadist groups in northern Africa with the ability to be supplied by Iran, given that they are already often...

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Executive Order “Prioritizing the warfighter in defense contracting”, published by the President of the United States of America on 7 January; and whether a similar decision in respect of stock buybacks and excessive corporate distributions would be appropriate...

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Executive Order “Prioritizing the warfighter in defense contracting”, published by the President of the United States of America on 7 January; and whether a similar decision in respect of stock buybacks and excessive corporate distributions would be appropriate...

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 27 January (HL13563), when the contract for the Defence Marine Services Next Generation In-Port Services was signed; and in doing so what consideration was given to social value in line with the provisions of the Procurement Act...

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 27 January (HL13563), when the contract for the Defence Marine Services Next Generation In-Port Services was signed; and in doing so what consideration was given to social value in line with the provisions of the Procurement Act...

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security risk and the impact on the resilience of the defence industry of the construction of vessels in China or Vietnam for the Defence Maritime Next Generation Service program.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security risk and the impact on the resilience of the defence industry of the construction of vessels in China or Vietnam for the Defence Maritime Next Generation Service program.

My Lords, will the Minister care to remind the House how much the nuclear programme is suffering from the enormously damaging freeze on it between 2010 and 2016, the period of the coalition, when the then Prime Minister gave in to demands from the Liberal Democrats?

My Lords, will the Minister care to remind the House how much the nuclear programme is suffering from the enormously damaging freeze on it between 2010 and 2016, the period of the coalition, when the then Prime Minister gave in to demands from the Liberal Democrats?

My Lords, do the Government themselves not also have to place orders with British companies? Like me, does the Minister regret that the previous Administration gave the contract for the fleet solid support ships to a publicly supported, publicly owned foreign shipyard, to the detriment of work in the United Kingdom? Does he also accept that the defence industry depends on a supply chain that supplies both civilian and military use? Therefore, should we not be looking at rebuilding British industry and buying British?

My Lords, do the Government themselves not also have to place orders with British companies? Like me, does the Minister regret that the previous Administration gave the contract for the fleet solid support ships to a publicly supported, publicly owned foreign shipyard, to the detriment of work in the United Kingdom? Does he also accept that the defence industry depends on a supply chain that supplies both civilian and military use? Therefore, should we not be looking at rebuilding British industry and buying British?

Does the Minister accept, notwithstanding the importance of upgrading our air defence, that our fundamental response to intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear capabilities will still be our nuclear deterrent capacity?

Does the Minister accept, notwithstanding the importance of upgrading our air defence, that our fundamental response to intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear capabilities will still be our nuclear deterrent capacity?

My Lords, my noble friend has rightly pointed out the need to ramp up supply chains, but that requires a sense of urgency on the part of both the Ministry of Defence and industry. Up to now, it does not appear that they have seized the opportunities or the necessity...

My Lords, my noble friend has rightly pointed out the need to ramp up supply chains, but that requires a sense of urgency on the part of both the Ministry of Defence and industry. Up to now, it does not appear that they have seized the opportunities or the necessity...

We are pleased that there was an announcement from the Prime Minister, and that the Department has plans, but what we actually

need is industrial capacity. When the Department is handing out orders for fleet solid support ships to Spain; when it has taken 18 months to order munitions; when The Times today shows a significant drop in the number of apprenticeships; and when the Department admits that it still will not take past performance into account when awarding future contracts, what confidence can we have that there will be the industrial capacity, and the real orders, to enable our defence industry to be competitive and supply our forces?

We are pleased that there was an announcement from the Prime Minister, and that the Department has plans, but what we actually

need is industrial capacity. When the Department is handing out orders for fleet solid support ships to Spain; when it has taken 18 months to order munitions; when The Times today shows a significant drop in the number of apprenticeships; and when the Department admits that it still will not take past performance into account when awarding future contracts, what confidence can we have that there will be the industrial capacity, and the real orders, to enable our defence industry to be competitive and supply our forces?

Has the Secretary of State not just confirmed that the amount of money in the budget designated for the British armed forces has, in fact, gone down?

Has the Secretary of State not just confirmed that the amount of money in the budget designated for the British armed forces has, in fact, gone down?

Can we be clear that, as was kindly referenced by the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis), that situation was the result of a failure of political judgment and will by David Cameron? He could have said to the Liberal Democrats, “This is a matter of...

Can we be clear that, as was kindly referenced by the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis), that situation was the result of a failure of political judgment and will by David Cameron? He could have said to the Liberal Democrats, “This is a matter of...

Will the Secretary of State give way?

Will the Secretary of State give way?

Was the Secretary of State not a member of the Government, and indeed chairman of the Conservative party, during the period we are discussing when the Government did not renew Trident?

Was the Secretary of State not a member of the Government, and indeed chairman of the Conservative party, during the period we are discussing when the Government did not renew Trident?

Is it also the case that these aircraft have considerable aircraft life left in them? It is not as though they are approaching redundancy.

Is it also the case that these aircraft have considerable aircraft life left in them? It is not as though they are approaching redundancy.

I am mindful of your dictum, Mr Deputy Speaker.

May I start by following up on the comments of the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) about Boeing, because it is about not just getting the contract right in the first place, but enforcing it afterwards? Even when...

I am mindful of your dictum, Mr Deputy Speaker.

May I start by following up on the comments of the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) about Boeing, because it is about not just getting the contract right in the first place, but enforcing it afterwards? Even when...

What the hon. Gentleman refers to was just a manifestation of the running down of our Russia-watching capacity, in that context but also much more broadly within the system. I think there has been an attempt to repair it, but this should be a salutary lesson.

The present transformed security landscape...

What the hon. Gentleman refers to was just a manifestation of the running down of our Russia-watching capacity, in that context but also much more broadly within the system. I think there has been an attempt to repair it, but this should be a salutary lesson.

The present transformed security landscape...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of graduate nuclear (a) engineers and (b) scientists required for the military nuclear programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of graduate nuclear (a) engineers and (b) scientists required for the military nuclear programme.

Earlier this century, following threats of access to the Suez canal from Somali piracy, the international community united with a widely based taskforce to successfully suppress it. Now that the Houthis are threatening seafarers’ lives and international navigation—along with the trade and jobs that depend on it—will the Prime Minister...

Earlier this century, following threats of access to the Suez canal from Somali piracy, the international community united with a widely based taskforce to successfully suppress it. Now that the Houthis are threatening seafarers’ lives and international navigation—along with the trade and jobs that depend on it—will the Prime Minister...