Results 1-13 of 13 for trident speaker:Willie Rennie

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (11 Nov 2009)

Willie Rennie: ...the opportunity. I did not know that the Minister took such great interest in my party's position. We have made it clear that, first, the decision was premature, and secondly, we will not replace Trident on a like-for-like basis. We have made that statement and my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) is conducting a review to look into those...

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (11 Nov 2009)

Willie Rennie: ...upon which he is building that dialogue is fractured. The hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink), who is no longer in his place, mentioned the debate of a few years ago on the renewal of Trident. We made the case strongly at the time that such a decision was premature. We did not need to make it then. We thought that the main gate was a more appropriate time. However, it is not simply a...

Written Answers — Defence: Trident (1 Jun 2009)

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on inclusion of the UK's future Trident nuclear deterrent in negotiations at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010.

Defence Procurement (20 Apr 2009) has video

Willie Rennie: ...comment that was not appreciated by his audience and left the negotiators from other countries bemused. Will the Minister confirm whether we will have four or three submarines for the replacement Trident, because Lord Malloch-Brown indicated in another place that we could no longer keep up a continuous sea deterrent with only three submarines? Will the Minister clarify whether we will have...

Defence Procurement (20 Apr 2009) has video

Willie Rennie: ...talks in 2010 with no barriers in the way. What the House did in 2006 was put one big barrier in the way—or rather four now, not three—because people think that we are now committed to Trident until 2050. Some Members of this House may not want to get rid of nuclear weapons at all, but I do; I want to get rid of those weapons. A lot of people, however, seem to hold to the...

Defence Procurement (20 Apr 2009) has video

Willie Rennie: That is doubtful. We have made no bones about the fact that we are in favour of renewing Trident after those talks if we are unsuccessful in them. We have made that absolutely clear. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is being a wee bit mischievous. I will send him our policy document, since he has such great interest in our policy. He may benefit from reading it. Waiting until 2012 or 2014...

Military Radioactive Waste (20 May 2008)

Willie Rennie: ...to facilitate its new role. In 1993, however, that decision was cruelly reversed. We all know about the decision taken when Devonport was awarded the refit and refuelling arrangements for the Trident submarine fleet and other submarines. That was an attempt by the Conservative Government—I notice that no Conservative Members are present—to save Conservative seats in the...

Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston (26 Mar 2008)

Willie Rennie: ...to play our part in further disarmament."—[ Official Report, 19 March 2008; Vol. 473, c. 927.] Those are great, fine words, but actions speak louder than words. Last year's decision to renew Trident was premature, because we all know that it did not need to be made until 2014, when the main gate comes. That is all tied in with Aldermaston, because the new investment there is...

Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston (26 Mar 2008)

Willie Rennie: ...not know what is round the corner. The logical conclusion from that is that we must always have nuclear weapons, because we can never predict the future. In that case, the Conservative position is Trident for ever. We shall always have nuclear weapons, if we take the view that we can never protect the future. It is a very sad state of affairs if that is the Conservative party's position....

Point of Order: Defence Procurement (9 Oct 2007)

Willie Rennie: ...is the case, I should like to hear it. If not, I should like to see how the Government propose to fill the gap. I was surprised that during the Minister's opening remarks, there was not one mention of Trident. After all, earlier this year, the former Prime Minister at the time told us that "we cannot put this decision off; we have to take it now."—[ Official Report, 14 March 2007;...

Point of Order: Defence Procurement (9 Oct 2007)

Willie Rennie: ...If so, what will the nature of that relationship be? The hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy) mentioned the Babcock takeover of Devonport Management Ltd. Having been opponents over the Trident contract, it is good that Rosyth and Devonport are coming together in a constructive partnership. I am sure that they will work better together and will also be a counterbalance to BAE...

Point of Order: Trident (14 Mar 2007)

Willie Rennie: ...setting out its ambitions for disarmament. What hope do we have if the Government have already given up on those talks in 2010? What hope do we have if this Parliament decides prematurely to renew Trident? The Government seem determined not to give the talks a chance. The message that will be sent to Iran and North Korea by the Government deciding to proceed today is: "Do as we say, not as...

Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland: Military Bases (Security) (23 Jan 2007)

Willie Rennie: Has the Secretary of State had discussions with the Ministry of Defence about the so-called Trident tax and its possible effects on the MOD budget and therefore on security in military bases in Scotland? [Interruption.] If so, did he consider whether the tax might be illegal, and whether it was in fact pointless to impose any tax, because any taxes collected would result in cuts in the...