🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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I rise to speak briefly on sanctions, but before I do so, I congratulate the hon. Member for Blackpool South (Chris Webb) on an excellent maiden speech. It is my privilege to give my final speech on the back of such a brilliant first speech. Although I am sure that those in Conservative central office will have other ideas, I hope it is the first of many speeches he gives in this House. This...
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Gosh, Madam Deputy Speaker! It is five years since my last question, and it is the first time that I have ever been called first. It seems curious that we are dealing with a question about the sovereign decision of another Government. While the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) wants to challenge Ministers on our representations to that Government, I thought it important to...
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It is a pleasure to speak on something other than defence for the first time in five years in either Chamber. Flooding is a great subject on which to reopen my account, given how important it is to my low-lying Somerset constituency. Somerset is no stranger to water, so I hope the Minister understands that when Somerset MPs grumble about flooding, it is never unreasonable or alarmist. We are...
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Mr Speaker, thank you very much indeed for your words at the beginning of questions. I also thank the shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey). You were both very kind indeed to say what you said. The UK armed forces are meeting all of their commitments, but there is no mistaking that they are very busy, as one would expect at such a turbulent...
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There is no escaping the fact that the world is incredibly complicated at the moment. In the Euro-Atlantic, we face the challenge of Russia; in the middle east, the challenge of Iran and its proxies; in the Indo-Pacific, the growing competition with China; and then across Africa and other parts of the world there remains the challenge of violent extremism. At a time of such crisis, one would...
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That will go soon, but not yet. Colleagues on both sides of the House will note that whenever I have been invited to respond to such a question, like all good Defence Ministers, I have never missed the opportunity to say yes, but the reality is that our armed forces remain fit. Yes, it is the job of this House and particularly my hon. Friend’s Committee to scrutinise our readiness, as the...
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The contract has now been placed, and it increases our supply of .155s significantly. I take issue with the point that the right hon. Gentleman makes: I am not aware of the exercise he referred to, but in exercises that I have seen, in which the UK has operated alongside the US, again and again the American senior commanders have held the UK force elements in the highest regard.
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I am unable to answer my right hon. Friend’s specific question, but he will be heartened to hear that as a consequence of all that is going on in the world, and the geopolitical uncertainty that requires us to use our armed forces so extensively, in recent months we have enjoyed record expressions of interest in joining His Majesty’s armed forces. Obviously, we need to make sure that the...
More of James Heappey's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) fiscal and (b) economic conditions have to be met for defence spending to be raised to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product.
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I can confirm that no injuries were sustained by staff working on the HMS Queen Elizabeth as a result of the fire on 8 March 2024. There was also no permanent damage caused and the fire will have no impact on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s current programme. An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the fire and this will seek to identify any appropriate lessons that can be implemented...
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The UK discusses a broad range of issues with counterparts on improving NATO's collective security. NATO is undertaking a once-in-a-generation transformation, agreeing a new generation of warfighting plans, to ensure that the Alliance can deter and defend seamlessly across all domains. The UK has committed almost all our Armed Forces across the full spectrum of capabilities under the NATO...
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Without details of the specific development being referred to, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are unable to confirm whether we have been consulted upon this particular development. If the MOD is consulted upon the development of wind farms, it carries out assessments to determine whether they will affect defence radars, including those located at RAF Lossiemouth. When a proposed wind farm...
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Through the Air Defence and Offshore Wind Task Force, Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials are working closely, and collaboratively, with colleagues from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Scottish Government, the Crown Estates and windfarm industry stakeholders to address the problems that future windfarms would cause to MOD's radars. This joint work is essential to ensure air...
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Our readiness to deter will be increased through investment in the resilience of the UK’s munitions infrastructure, including storage facilities and stockpiles. The £1.95 billion for resilience and readiness will be spent on measures to address gaps in our capabilities. We are transforming the Department’s workforce model to attract and retain the talent needed. Our Regular and Reserve...
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The UK is one of the largest contributors of personnel to NATO, underlining our commitment to deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area. The table below shows the number of UK personnel posted to NATO Peacetime Establishment locations, with personnel in 39 NATO locations in 19 countries all over Europe and the Continental US, and the UK has proportional workforce equity at all...
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Further to the table provided to you in my letter of 7 February, the British Army regiments which have been disbanded since 2010 have been listed below. As noted in that letter, this information represents single Service estimates based on management information which is not gathered for statistical purposes or subject to the same level of scrutiny as official statistics produced by Defence...
More of James Heappey's written questions
