Lords
Debate
6 July 2026
Armed Forces Bill
My Lords. I start by highlighting the interests I have declared: my son-in-law is an active reservist.
It is a great honour and pleasure to speak to the Armed Forces Bill, as I know it is for us all. We should be reminded that without the Armed Forces Bill, the current Armed Forces Act 2006—the leg…
Lords
Proceedings
1 July 2026
13 contributions
Defence Investment Plan
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, and the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for their contributions and important questions.
I will start by dealing with the question of spending, which goes to the heart of what both noble Lords were saying. Let me put on record some of the things that were said about t…
Indeed, we will come forward with proposals and plans with respect to a national conversation. The noble Baroness is right in her suggestion. We can see—many Members of this House will know this—that some of the ways in which the Government have asked different departments to contribute to this upli…
+11 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
29 June 2026
8 contributions
Palantir: Public Service Contracts
My Lords, government departments operate within a robust procurement and assurance framework, ensuring that contracts are awarded only where requirements are met and no exclusion grounds apply. Palantir’s software is used globally across public and private sectors. Within the UK Government, its use …
My noble friend is quite right to challenge the Government on these incredibly important issues around human rights and how the Government establish their contracts. To be clear about the UK Government, we are talking about a relationship and contracts that are negotiated with Palantir UK. The contr…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2026
5 contributions
Russian Shadow Fleet
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord and the noble Baroness for the comments that they have made. I particularly thank the noble Baroness for her thanks—and I know it is a sentiment shared by us all—to our Armed Forces for the work that they did. It is important that we recognise that, as well as the mi…
I can comment on the environmental risk. Obviously that is important, and we will do all we can to ensure that we do not see any adverse impact or consequence of what we have done in that respect. As I have said, apart from the captain, who is in custody with the police in Bournemouth, the 24 others…
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2026
8 contributions
Defence Investment Plan
The priorities, and the moneys for the future, will be laid out in the defence investment plan. The noble Baroness is right to point out some of the important capabilities we have to protect our country and to work with our allies. She was right, for example, to point to the importance of the reserv…
Money for defence is already increasing, notwithstanding what happens in the DIP, which will further increase defence spending. In answer to various questions yesterday about defence spending going forward, I simply referred to what the Prime Minister told the BBC on Friday afternoon. The Prime Mini…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
15 June 2026
7 contributions
Defence Investment Plan
I first thank the noble Baroness for the very kind remarks she started with. I thank the former Secretary of State for his work and wish the former Armed Forces Minister well. I know the whole House will also join me in paying tribute to the UK commando forces who intercepted a Russian shadow fleet …
No, is the answer to the last part of the noble Lord’s question. We are still spending a significant sum of money with respect to aid and development. The DIP does require a reprioritisation of resources, and that is what we are looking at currently, including ensuring that we get the resources need…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
11 contributions
UK Defence Capability
My Lords, Russia remains a significant and persistent threat to the UK and to Euro-Atlantic security through its war in Ukraine, hostile cyber activity, disinformation and sabotage against the UK and many other NATO allies. The Government have increased transparency around these threats, as seen thr…
It would be wrong of me not to say that I appreciate my noble friend’s remarks on Normandy. A number of us were there on Saturday; the relative of the noble Lord, Lord Evans, was the day after. My uncle, who I am named after, was killed on D-Day, soon after landing on Sword Beach. I really appreciat…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
4 June 2026
8 contributions
Military in the Gulf
My Lords, I start by paying tribute to the three members of the Royal Navy who died during a helicopter training exercise in the early hours of Wednesday near Sourton in Devon. The families have requested a period of grace before further details are released, but I am sure that the thoughts of the w…
I thank the noble Lord for his question. On the regional contact we have, as well as the other contacts from the Foreign Office, the Prime Minister and others, I have met virtually every single week the ambassadors and/or the defence attachés of the various Middle East countries in the Ministry of D…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
20 April 2026
2 contributions
Civil Preparedness for War
My Lords, there is a Division in the Chamber. The Committee will adjourn for 10 minutes.
As I was saying, I reiterate the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Bruce, that this is a really important debate for which we certainly need more time. A number of noble Lords, including the noble Lords, Lord Farmer, Lord Sikka—in a particular way—Lord Rogan, Lord Wallace and Lord Bailey, and the r…
Lords
Proceedings
16 April 2026
8 contributions
Strategic Defence Review: Funding
I thank the noble Baroness for her question. On the Chagos deal, the direct answer, fairly obviously, is that priorities across government are always being assessed and reassessed as policy develops or changes, but predicting that is very difficult. I cannot give a direct answer to what the noble Ba…
There is a debate in Grand Committee on Monday about defence resilience, so we can start the conversation there. Of course, there is a broader conversation that the noble Lord referred to, and we are working hard to deliver that as well. I accept that there is a debate about defence spending. Howeve…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
14 April 2026
15 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
I thank everyone for their warm welcome and for the opportunity to respond to those questions. It is an important debate. I say to the noble Lords, Lord Callanan and Lord Purvis, and to everybody contributing—many Members on both sides of the House—that it is an important issue.
Let me say straight…
The noble Lord and I have sparred across the Dispatch Box, but not as much as I would like, if I am honest about it. I just say to him that Mauritius is a country: every now and again, any country in the world that the UK has relationships with will have such arrangements: we will have educational v…
+13 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
8 contributions
Atlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface Operations
Does my noble friend the Minister agree that taking a more overt approach to highlighting Russian aggression is necessary to send a message that attempts to attack critical undersea infrastructure will be called out and attributed to Russia, and to ensure that the public are fully aware of the dange…
My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Antrobus, is quite right to urge the Government to give more support to our hard-pressed Armed Forces in meeting the many challenges that they do. As the Minister knows, the Prime Minister has provided a temporary three-month bridge to enable work on the GCAP fight…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
11 contributions
Strait of Hormuz: Mine Clearance
My Lords, I agree entirely with my noble friend the Minister that we must not let this war end with the Strait of Hormuz, a very important international waterway, being closed. It is in global interests and in our interest that this does not happen. We are very good at mine-hunting. Our—very badly f…
My Lords, when President Trump triggered the war in the Middle East, the sole naval response by the UK, to protect significant British interests in the region, was to belatedly order a Type 45 destroyer, in maintenance in Portsmouth, to be made sea-ready. It departed on 10 March and reached Cyprus a…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
23 March 2026
11 contributions
UK Homeland Defence
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend the Minister for that response. I am reassured by some of what he has said. However, it looks as though this Iranian capability is not necessarily hugely accurate and under those circumstances it may be difficult to be precise in terms of interception.…
My Lords, this conflict has laid bare the acute geopolitical threat that we face and the embarrassing sparseness of readily deployable UK military assets. The first is frightening, the second completely unacceptable. Will the Minister confirm that the discredited UK-Mauritius treaty is now dead and …
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
11 March 2026
10 contributions
Middle East: Defence
My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Goldie and Lady Smith, for their important tributes to our Armed Forces. There is no division between any of us in our admiration for our Armed Forces, their families, the communities, and all those who work in our defence industry. I join with both noble…
The Foreign Office will no doubt have heard the noble Baroness’s request about Iranian diplomats. She will also know that the Foreign Office called in the Iranian ambassador to express our displeasure with what was going on.
There is a point of difference between the noble Baroness and me. I though…
+8 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
Iran and the Middle East
He always tries to be helpful. Obviously, noble Lords would not expect me to comment in any detail on exactly what is being used, but we have F35s and Typhoons, which are being used to keep our citizens safe. We may have time for the noble Lord to ask the question again; if that was not quite what h…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 March 2026
9 contributions
Defence Industrial Strategy 2025: Economic Growth and Job Creation
My Lords, in warmly welcoming the Government’s commitment to significantly increasing defence expenditure and the opportunity to use this lever to promote economic growth, especially through the development of dual-use technologies and extended supply chains, I draw my noble friend the Minister’s at…
My Lords, the defence industrial strategy will have no economic effect. What might make an impact is a defence investment plan, backed up by the necessary level of resources. The absence of such a plan is undermining business confidence and investor confidence. When will the Government start taking …
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
2 March 2026
3 contributions
Armed Forces Commissioner (Family Definition, and Consequential and Transitional Provision etc.) Regulations 2026
I beg to move that the Grand Committee considers these regulations, which were laid before both Houses on 15 January. They form a key part of implementing the Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025, which strengthens independent oversight and support for our service personnel and their families.
Before…
My Lords, I will be brief. I thank the Minister for introducing these regulations, which I support, and for the way in which he did so.
In the interests of transparency, I should declare the interest that some Members of this Committee have already heard during the passage of the Bill through the H…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
23 February 2026
8 contributions
LGBT Veterans Independent Review
I thank my noble friend the Minister for that statement and, equally, for his kind words. I also pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Etherton. This is a great example of what we can do when we act cross-party in the common good. I congratulate my noble fr…
My Lords, I have enormous respect for the Minister and what he has been doing on this scheme, but there is a sense among the former service men and women that the rules are being applied far too narrowly, with no flexibility whatever. That was not the intention of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Et…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
11 February 2026
8 contributions
Ministry of Defence: Palantir Contracts
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for the courteous way in which she asked the question. I will reflect on what she has said and respond appropriately once I have discussed it with others.
On the fundamental issue of single-source contracts, I can do no better than to quote the Con…
I say to the noble Lord, who asks an important question with respect to this, that the UK defence data used and developed in Palantir’s software remains sovereign and under the control of the MoD. It resides in the United Kingdom. We have clear contractual controls in place to ensure that, as well a…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
8 contributions
Ministry of Defence: Budget Shortfall
I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. The Chief of the Defence Staff has rightly warned the country about the growing threat from Russia and other countries and the need for adequate preparation. In response to questions about the £28 billion shortfall on Monday before the Defence Select Com…
My Lords, the Minister is quite right, but he knows as well as the rest of us that those are meaningless figures: what really matters is how much you can buy for the money you are spending. Given the accounting changes that have taken place over the intervening years, we are currently spending a low…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
11 contributions
Royal Navy: Nuclear Submarines
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister. Is it not the case that the four submarines to which my Question refers are the essence of our nuclear defence delivery systems? Is he satisfied that they are maintained and operated to the required standard?
My Lords, can the Minister say how many of these submarines are operational at any one time? Many have been out of service quite frequently. Given the constraints, are we sure that we can maintain the programme that he has outlined and deliver AUKUS on time and on budget?
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
14 January 2026
7 contributions
New Medium Helicopter Contract
The noble Baroness will know that the final decision on the award of the new medium helicopter contract will be made through the wider defence investment plan. With respect to what she said about the defence industry being a desert, the Government have signed 1,000 major defence contracts since July…
The noble Lord and I have spoken about this. I understand exactly the points that he has made with such passion, force and logic. I cannot say any more than that the final decision will be contained within the defence investment plan. The only thing that I will say to him is that we are spending bil…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
14 January 2026
8 contributions
Boarding of Sanctioned Vessels
My Lords, these Benches applauded the successful boarding by the United States of the illegally flagged MV “Marinera” and the detention of that vessel, because that direct interception hits the Putin war machine and the brutalistic regime of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. I understand that there are cu…
My Lords, we effectively run global merchant shipping from London. We have the best Merchant Navy-type lawyers in the world in London, and it is quite clear that these ships can be boarded and it is legal to do it. We already have people trained to conduct such operations. Indeed, some of the takedo…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
12 January 2026
10 contributions
Ukraine and Wider Operational Update
First, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Goldie and Lady Smith, for their general support for what the Government have been doing, which, to be fair, carries on from the last Government. It is a source of strength for our country that that is the case and that there is a degree of consensus between…
The noble Lord made a series of very good points, and I could say that I agree with him about the need for all the things he said. I completely agree with him about the need for there to be a security guarantee for Ukraine. Any arrangement that is made has to have the support of the Ukrainians. That…
+8 more contributions in this session