Lords
Oral Questions
2 February 2026
China: Human Rights and UK National Security
It is never long before we get to Chagos in these exchanges. We are confident that the deal that we have agreed with Mauritius is in the very best interests of the United Kingdom and our security, and we will continue to have conversations with the relevant partners and allies to achieve the only de…
Lords
Debate
26 January 2026
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, when challenged about the defence and security implications of the UK-Mauritius treaty, the Government have prayed in aid the United States, Five Eyes and AUKUS. Last week, the President of the United States called the treaty an “act of great stupidity”, Five Eyes is not a military operati…
Lords
Oral Questions
19 January 2026
Greenland: Proposed US Tariffs
I completely agree with the noble Baroness on what she says about unity of purpose. That is why the Prime Minister made the statement that he did this morning. When it comes to what meetings to hold, who should convene them and when that should happen, I will leave that to others to determine. She c…
Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
Ministry of Defence: Budget Shortfall
I am not going to comment on the operation of Special Forces, and the noble Baroness would not have done that in her previous role, however nicely she was asked. I outlined the money being spent to other noble Lords: we are developing munitions factories and money will be spent on that; there is a d…
Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
Royal Navy: Nuclear Submarines
I can give some of the information that the noble Baroness has asked me for. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise submarine dismantling project has achieved a major milestone as it completes the fin cut and removal on HMS “Swiftsure”. She will become the first decommissioned Royal Navy submarine to be dis…
Lords
Proceedings
14 January 2026
New Medium Helicopter Contract
My Lords, since this Government came to power, despite rhetoric, reviews and pledges, MoD orders have effectively dried up. Out there is a desert in the defence industry. That uncertainty is unnerving for the industry, with a stark warning from Leonardo that the helicopter factory at Yeovil is at ri…
Lords
Oral Questions
14 January 2026
2 contributions
Boarding of Sanctioned Vessels
My Lords, any future requests from the US for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force support for operations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes appropriate consideration of the legal basis for any proposed activity. The MoD will continue to step up action against shadow fleet activity …
The unity of purpose between His Majesty’s Opposition, the Government and all Members of this House sends a hugely important and significant signal to Russia and our adversaries, so I very much welcome the first part of the noble Baroness’s question. I anticipated her question. I do not normally do …
Lords
Proceedings
12 January 2026
Ukraine and Wider Operational Update
My Lords, I begin by echoing the comments of my right honourable friends in the other place, the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Defence Secretary, in supporting the Government in taking measures to tackle the ongoing scourge of sanctions-busting shipping activity.
The enforcement of sancti…
Lords
Debate
6 January 2026
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Armed Forces Recruitment and Retention
My Lords, in seeking to address legacy issues arising from the Northern Ireland Troubles, I suspect that what we are all agreed on is that there is no absolutely right way in which to proceed. A judgment about what is the least harmful approach has to be made. May I ask the Minister two questions? W…
Lords
Oral Questions
6 January 2026
Defence Spending
The noble Baroness will first have to tell me how long an elephant’s pregnancy is— I have absolutely no idea whether that is good news or bad news, and I do not know whether anybody else does.
The noble Baroness makes a serious point, challenging the Government on the defence investment plan. I say…
Lords
Debate
5 January 2026
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, I endorse the comments of my noble friend Lord Callanan on the amendments in this group. I raised specific concerns about defence and security in Committee, and I have considerable sympathy with the remarks of my noble friends Lord Lilley and Lord Leicester on their amendments. I accept th…
Lords
Proceedings
10 December 2025
Ajax Armoured Vehicle
My Lords, I extend my personal sorrow to the family of Lance Corporal George Hooley. His tragic death is a humbling reminder of the risk that we ask all those who serve with such honour to confront on a daily basis.
In relation to the Urgent Question, we have here a story of starkly, indeed darkly,…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 December 2025
Armed Services: Sexual Violence
I thank again the noble Baroness for the whistleblower review amendment that she brought to the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill in liaison with the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer. That is being taken forward. The whistleblowing review is under way. We expect an interim report to be available in the very…
Lords
Debate
25 November 2025
5 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, I did not expect to participate in this, but I was having a conversation earlier with my noble friend Lord Minto, who is very knowledgeable about corporate finance. He posed the question: is there anything in this whole arrangement that would stop Mauritius capitalising on the revenue stre…
Before the Minister sits down, the particular question I pose—and I am not being polemical; I think there is an issue—is: what actually stops Mauritius, contractually, from commercially transferring this revenue stream in a capitalised form to another purchaser?
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
25 November 2025
2 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, I associate myself with the remarks of my noble friend Lord Callanan on the amendments to which he spoke. I shall be dealing with the word “expeditiously” and I will try to ensure that that characterises my contribution, and perhaps influences this debate.
I wish to speak to my Amendments…
Forgive me for being slightly behind the curve; I was trying to follow the sections in the annex. The Minister referred to Annex 1(11), in particular the definition of “unrestricted”. That paragraph states that
“‘unrestricted’ means not requiring permission or notification, subject to the standing …
Lords
Proceedings
25 November 2025
Russian Ship “Yantar”
My Lords, the “Yantar” spy ship has form when it comes to pushing boundaries, but directing laser beams at a UK Poseidon surveillance plane is an unwelcome development. It is provocative and irresponsible. In the air domain during the Cold War, there was a regular pattern of incursion into United Ki…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
President Trump: Nuclear Weapons Statement
What I can confirm is that there will be no reduction in our capability of ensuring that the nuclear deterrent is effective and that it remains so seven days a week, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. That is the commitment that the Government make. I hear what the noble Baroness says about the AWE…
Lords
Debate
18 November 2025
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 89 in my name and in support of the amendments in the name of my noble friend Lord Callanan.
At Second Reading, I raised the broad issue of the royal prerogative, and the Minister is aware of my, perhaps inquisitive, interest in that. That broad power is in Claus…
Lords
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
Ministry of Defence Procurement: UK-manufactured Products
On the specific question of the defence investment plan, that will be published this year, so the noble Baroness and the House will not have to wait too long. It will lay out the investment decisions we are going to make. On the basis of a growing defence budget, that defence investment plan will la…
Lords
Debate
11 November 2025
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords, briefly, I mentioned last week the Chagos Refugee Group led by Olivier Bancoult, the biggest group of Chagossians. I want to quote two paragraphs from a statement that he has made today:
“I wish to explain how important it is for the British Government to make amends for the cruel treatme…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 November 2025
UK-Norway Defence Agreement: Impact in Scotland
I thank the noble Baroness for that question. That sounds like an excellent suggestion and I will certainly pass it on to the Secretary to State. I should be delighted to attend myself; I am looking forward to visiting some of these facilities with my noble friend Lady Curran. I should say that, in …
Lords
Debate
4 November 2025
3 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
I am so grateful to the noble Baroness. I just want to say that I am quite sure that the Mauritians would agree with that.
Forgive me for interrupting, but the noble Baroness said a few minutes ago that the sovereign base area in Cyprus was not the subject of a treaty. It was the subject of three treaties: the Treaty of Guarantee, the Treaty of Alliance and the treaty of establishment.
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Proceedings
31 October 2025
Ukraine
My Lords, I too thank the Government for initiating this debate today and very much look forward to hearing the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Barrow.
It is nearly four years since the full-scale and unprovoked invasion in February 2022. Ukraine faces a fourth harsh winter, with constant dro…
Lords
Oral Questions
27 October 2025
Undersea Cables: National Security Threat
There is a co-ordinating committee, whose name escapes me, that brings together all those various parts of government to which the noble Baroness has just referred to ensure that we have that co-ordinated defence and co-ordinated work that, as she rightly points out, we need. I would say, without go…