Armed Forces Day
Amanda Martin Excerpts(1 week, 6 days ago)
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Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
I associate myself with the Minister’s opening words.
It is a privilege to speak in this debate as both a member of the armed forces parliamentary scheme and the proud Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North, the home of the Royal Navy and a community with deep historic ties to our armed forces. However, for me, this debate is not just about duty—it is personal. I have a son currently serving, as well as several cousins and, indeed, a grandad who wear and wore their uniforms with pride. Like those in so many military families, I know both the pride and sacrifice that service life brings. I have proudly stood on the shoreline waving off ships as they sail out of my city and sail back in—and yes, it is emotional. I thank the Minister for joining me last month as we waved loved ones off on the Prince of Wales. I will be returning again next month.
This Armed Forces Week, we honour not just those in uniform—regulars, reserves and veterans—but the families who stand behind them. Our armed forces are the backbone of our national security, and they are the very best of us. I want to make special mention of the 14th and 15th Battalions and the 16th (Reserve) Battalion, more fondly known in my city as the “Pompey Pals”, and to remember the more than 1,400 who have lost their lives, many going over the top in the battle of the Somme on 3 September 1916. A tribute to the armed forces veterans who did not survive can be found at my football club; their names also adorned our football shirts one season.
After years of neglect and underfunding, I am proud that this Labour Government are turning the page. We delivered the largest pay rise in more than 20 years for our armed forces and, as we heard from the Minister, we are increasing recruitment and have committed £1.5 billion more for military accommodation, tackling years of decay and poor conditions that too many forces families have had to endure. I am proud to have brought the Minister for Veterans and People to Portsmouth to meet residents and armed forces families and to see what can be done with accommodation, and I look forward to this Government changing homes for the better.
We must also look to the future and at boosting the cadet forces, which I am pleased we are looking to increase by 30% by 2030, opening doors to 42,000 more young people from every background to develop the skills, discipline and confidence that service life can bring. I want to mention the Royal Navy Cadets, Royal Marine Cadets, Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force, Air Cadets and Combined Cadet Force, as well as the teachers at City of Portsmouth college who teach the uniformed protective services BTEC levels 2 and 3, and who do a great job showing our young people that there can be a life in the military.
To ensure those who have served are not forgotten, we are launching Valour, a £50 million programme creating a nationwide network of veteran support centres. I urge Portsmouth city council to sign up to and wholeheartedly embrace this programme, as we have veterans who deserve and need our support. I also look forward to putting the covenant into law and promoting this service to our armed forces and their families, many of whom do not know it exists, so that we can follow best practice across the country and deliver for our people.
We proudly commemorated VE Day in Portsmouth, where it was fantastic to join the residents of Knox Road at their street party. I look forward to joining many other street parties on VJ Day in August.
John Milne (Horsham) (LD)
We owe a huge debt of thanks to the whole of the world war two generation, but I would like to pay special tribute to a remarkable local hero from my constituency, Jack Dark, the last surviving member of the Pathfinder squadron. The Pathfinders played a crucial role in world war two, flying ahead of bomber formations to mark targets for attack. To say it was a tough mission is an understatement: Pathfinder crews survived for an average of just six weeks. Against all the odds, Jack will celebrate his 102nd birthday on 11 August—an extraordinary milestone that speaks to his incredible spirit and determination. I am very much looking forward to meeting Jack in person tomorrow, and I hope the hon. Lady will agree that his story is a powerful reminder of the bravery and resilience of all our armed forces.
Amanda Martin
I thank the hon. Member for that wonderful intervention and send my best wishes to Jack for his birthday. In remembering that, I would also like to remember John Jenkins—one of our very own veterans from Portsmouth.
In Portsmouth, we also proudly celebrated Armed Forces Day last Saturday, honouring the service and sacrifice of our military community with events across the city. It is a day that I have attended since I was a kid, and it shows our city at its very best. On Monday, we raised the armed forces flag—a visible sign of our respect and support for those who serve and have served—but in my city the armed forces are remembered every day, not just on one day.
I also want to pay tribute to the local charities, veterans’ organisations and community groups in Portsmouth, which work year round to support our armed forces communities. Their dedication and compassion make a real difference. It has been a pleasure to work with them since coming to this place on behalf of my constituents, veterans and their families, and I have been proud to host many of them in this place.
Let us use this week not just to show gratitude, but to rebuild the bond between society and those who serve, and to ensure that our armed forces community is properly respected, supported and championed. Let us also use it to say thank you: to my Olly, to Kate, to Craig, to Kirstin, to Mark and to Jonty, who is currently away on the Prince of Wales—and, indeed, to all who serve and have served. Whether they are serving now, have served or are supporting from home, they all deserve nothing less than our full commitment on their return.
War Memorials
Amanda Martin Excerpts(2 weeks, 1 day ago)
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Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) for securing the debate.
In Portsmouth North, we are proud of our naval heritage and deep connection to those who serve. Our war memorials are more than stone and metal; they are living markers of sacrifice, service and the values that we hold dear. In St Peter and St Paul church in Wymering, there is a wooden shrine with five panels listing 62 names from world war one and world war two; positioned in the churchyard corner, it has been carefully maintained and restored over decades. The Portsdown hill D-day window, in Christ church in Portsdown, is a beautiful stained glass window depicting St Michael, St George and the Normandy landings. The Nelson monument at the summit of Portsdown hill is a 37 metre granite memorial that was dedicated in 1808 to Admiral Lord Nelson and funded by naval subscription. Although not a war memorial in the modern sense, it is an early tribute to naval heroism.
From the Portsdown hill memorials that honour the Royal Regiment of Artillery and those lost in both world wars to the Paulsgrove war memorials, the plaques inside St Michael’s church, and the silhouettes of soldiers on the lampposts across our city, commemorating individuals who fell during the wars—these sites connect generations. They are places where our communities come together on Remembrance Sunday and beyond to reflect, remember and recommit ourselves to peace.
The sites also have an educational role. I have seen young people from local schools visit our city war memorials and begin to understand history, not as something distant but as something personal. That is why it is so important that we protect, preserve and promote such spaces. Recent attacks on war memorials are attacks on our shared history and those who gave their lives for our freedom; they are disgraceful and must be met with zero tolerance.
I thank all those volunteers, whether with charities, movements or small community groups, for the work they do on the upkeep of these memorials. I urge all MPs to work with our local authorities, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, community groups and our schools to ensure that war memorials across our country, including those in Portsmouth North, are properly maintained and understood, and that they serve as civic spaces and not just historical artefacts. In remembering the past, we strengthen our shared future.
UK Military Base Protection
Amanda Martin Excerpts(2 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Luke Pollard
I thank the hon. Gentleman for the way he approached his question. I share his concerns to ensure that Members of Parliament are adequately informed about defence. Indeed, it was the Defence Secretary’s intent, when we took office, to renew and refresh the relationship between the Ministry of Defence and Parliament with a more open conversation. We are endeavouring to do that with further briefings and I will take his suggestion on board as we look at how we implement the review.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
First, on Armed Forces Day, I want to thank all who serve and have served, including my own son, and recognise the huge contribution made by our armed forces, alongside all service families in Portsmouth, the very proud home of the Royal Navy. Secondly, I would like to say a huge “Thank you” for Armed Forces Day on Saturday, and for being able to take part in the flag raising in my city to show my gratitude and respect to all those serving.
Given the fast-changing landscape alongside the recent disrespectful incident at RAF Brize Norton, with so many armed forces personnel based in Portsmouth and personnel from Portsmouth based around the globe, can the Minister confirm whether wider action is being taken to review and strengthen security across all our military bases, in both the UK and abroad, and what force protection measures are in place to keep our personnel and their families safe here, abroad and in my city?
Luke Pollard
As the MP for Devonport, can I say to my hon. Friend, the MP for one of the Portsmouth seats, just how proud we are of our Royal Navy, no matter where those ships or capabilities are based? It is certainly true that the review commissioned by the Defence Secretary looks not just at what happened at RAF Brize Norton, but at the application of that lesson across the defence estate. The force protection of our people, both home and abroad, is a priority for this Government. We will be undertaking the review at pace and I suspect I will be back in front of the House in due course to announce further measures.
Diego Garcia Military Base
Amanda Martin Excerpts(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
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Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
I rise to welcome this agreement, which safeguards a vital national security asset and cements the United Kingdom’s role at the heart of global defence co-operation. Let us be clear: this treaty is about protecting Britain’s ability to defend itself and its allies. Diego Garcia is not just a piece of land in the Indian ocean, but the backbone of our joint operations with the United States and a linchpin of the UK’s ability to project power, to deter threats and to ensure security in an increasingly unstable world. All our closest allies—the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India—support this deal. NATO supports this deal. They understand what Diego Garcia represents: unmatched strategic certainty. Will the Secretary of State please give us more information about how we will be protecting the area around the islands?
John Healey
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Our close allies take a close interest, and they can see that this treaty is the best way of securing—for the UK, for the US and for themselves—a vital base on which we can help both to project military power and to reinforce regional security. My hon. Friend will see the 24 nautical mile buffer zone—an exclusion zone, if you like—that allows us to control the seas and the air. We would not be able to do that, increasingly, without the deal. She will see that sweep and an effective veto on any developments across the archipelago to ranges of at least 100 nautical miles. She will also see the value of a deal that guarantees our full operational sovereignty and therefore prevents any undermining of our ability to use the electromagnetic spectrum. As I said in my statement, that is so crucial to the unique capabilities that this base and its operations offer to this country and to the United States.
Royal British Legion
Amanda Martin Excerpts(3 months, 1 week ago)
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Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
I thank the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for securing the debate. In Portsmouth, the home of the Royal Navy, we know all too well the sacrifices made by our service personnel past and present. Our city has been at the heart of British naval history for centuries, and with that comes a deep understanding of the cost of service and the importance of remembrance every day.
The Royal British Legion has been a steadfast supporter of the armed forces community, providing vital assistance to veterans, service personnel and their families. It has been a lifeline for thousands who have struggled with the physical, mental and financial burdens of service. Whether through cost of living grants, debt advice or war pension support, the legion has ensured that those who have served our country are not left behind.
I take this opportunity to give a special shout-out to Terry and Denise Bryant, and all the poppy sellers in Pompey. I am honoured to have sold poppies alongside them, and I am pleased to have hosted a thank-you breakfast for them and veterans in December—I was honoured that the Defence Minister in the other place joined us.
Portsmouth is not just a city of naval history, but a city of service, with thousands of veterans and active personnel calling it home, and the work of the RBL is vital across our community. However, the Minister will be aware that challenges remain. The Government must uphold the principles of the armed forces covenant and ensure that it works in modern times. It has sat on a shelf for far too long, meaning that our service personnel and veterans have been let down for many years.
Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)
Does the hon. Lady agree that all councils must follow the lead of Hertfordshire county council, which was one of the first to launch an armed forces covenant?
Amanda Martin
I agree 100%.
It is important that public bodies routinely identify veterans to ensure that they receive the support they need. Veterans deserve proper housing, adequate welfare support, and fair and timely treatment when it comes to military compensation. It is vital that, as Members of Parliament, our doors are always open to our veterans and service personnel. Our service families, including those of non-UK personnel who serve alongside our forces, should not face unnecessary barriers when settling in the UK.
In Portsmouth, we are proud of our naval heritage, but pride alone does not provide for our veterans. That is why we must continue to support the Royal British Legion in its mission. I urge the Government to continue listening to the voices of the armed service community, and to ensure that we follow through on the commitments we have made.
Finally, I thank those in Portsmouth who remember the sacrifices of those who serve and served—not just on Remembrance Day but every day—and the role that our Royal British Legion plays alongside our community.
Oral Answers to Questions
Amanda Martin Excerpts(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Al Carns
I will happily come and talk through that in due course. I have been in the military for 24 years and have spent a lot of time shooting, and I can see its benefits.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry (Maria Eagle)
SMEs can help us make defence an engine for growth in all our nations and regions. I want far more involvement from SMEs in our procurement, providing agility, innovation and resilience as we seek to ramp up our industrial production. That is why the Prime Minister recently launched a new defence SME support hub, and committed us to publishing a new target for MOD spend with SMEs.
Amanda Martin
Last week, as part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme, I had the privilege of visiting His Majesty’s Royal Naval Base in Portsmouth, to meet personnel and see equipment used by our armed forces that is made by Accuracy International and SIG Sauer, an SME firearms manufacturer in my constituency. Accuracy International employs more than 100 local people. What is the Minister doing to ensure that companies such as Accuracy International and SIG Sauer are given a fair shot in defence procurement and can continue to provide jobs in my city?
Maria Eagle
A fair shot—I commend my hon. Friend on her puns. Accuracy International has made a great contribution to UK defence and exports. I have been talking to defence firms, many of which are SMEs, during the defence industrial strategy consultation. I hope that the changes that we will make to speed up procurement and provide more access to opportunities will transform their chances of doing business with us, while making defence an engine for growth across all our nations and regions.
Oral Answers to Questions
Amanda Martin Excerpts(4 months, 4 weeks ago)
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Maria Eagle
We have taken many steps to try to improve the capabilities of the Ukrainians when it comes to drone technology, and I am perfectly happy to look at the point that the hon. Gentleman has raised.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy, but it is also the proud home of many companies in the defence sector: BAE, Airbus and Accuracy International, to name just a few. Those companies provide fantastic job opportunities for my constituents, but they have faced real difficulties in the last decade. What steps is the Department taking to support our defence sector in the UK and in Portsmouth in particular—both the businesses themselves and the recruitment and training of the skilled workforce—as part of our Government’s industrial strategy?
Maria Eagle
I look forward to meeting my hon. Friend shortly when I visit some of those businesses in her constituency. The defence industrial strategy is the way in which we will seek to deal with the issues that she has raised.
Unity Contract
Amanda Martin Excerpts(5 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Maria Eagle
I am not sure that is even the policy of the Conservative party—the shadow Defence Secretary can confirm whether that is the case. If I may say so, it is a bit sleight of hand to say that taking out a big chunk of our spending, which we are actually spending, will leave us well in deficit. Of course it would. However, I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman makes and the importance he attaches to spending on conventional defence. That is an important point, and once the strategic defence review is published he will be able to see the threats it identifies and how we will improve our capability to deal with them.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
I congratulate the Government and Rolls-Royce on their fantastic and innovative Unity project. As today’s welcome announcement shows, defence is a fantastic pipeline for building skills and refining the jobs and growth that this country needs. That is felt and needed nowhere more than in my constituency, the home of the Royal Navy and of so many defence companies, be they national or SMEs. Alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan), I intend to hold a roundtable later this year on growth strategy. Can the Minister assure the House that the defence industrial strategy will have a focus on training and skills and will promote and prioritise British industry?
Maria Eagle
I commend my hon. Friend for holding a roundtable; I have done a few of those around the country lately. It is quite illuminating to hear what comes back, particularly from small firms, and it will be informing our defence industrial strategy. I agree that there is much potential in all our constituencies across the nations and regions to get economic growth and jobs from boosting SMEs.
Oral Answers to Questions
Amanda Martin Excerpts(6 months ago)
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Al Carns
The career transition pathway that has just been set up is a great example of how we are helping those leaving the services to transition into civilian life. Op Courage, in particular, has had more than 35,000 referrals; it is for anybody with mental health issues caused by their service. I recommend going on to gov.uk and looking at the services available, as they are pretty ample.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
The defence sector provides well paid jobs across my city and constituency, and across the country. With 10,000 adults in the constituency on the minimum wage, will the Minister help me to work with the Department for Education to ensure that kids in my city get opportunities to work in this brilliant sector?
Al Carns
I thank my hon. Friend for a very important question. I would like to talk further about this. We have been working with the Department for Education—
Service Accommodation
Amanda Martin Excerpts(6 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Mr Dhesi
The right hon. Gentleman is indeed right, not only in his considerable contribution to the deliberations relating to the service accommodation report, but in preceding years, when he served in such a distinguished manner on the Defence Committee, which, by the way, works on a cross-party basis and the report was agreed unanimously. He is also right to highlight that the management of the contracts will be essential. The Committee’s report has identified the serious problems and now the ball is in the Government’s court as to how they manage that. However, it is great to see the cross-party working and I hope that will help to address the issues in a more timely manner.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
I welcome the Committee’s “Service Accommodation” report and recommendations, but I am not surprised by its findings. I also welcome the Government’s move to purchase back housing stock that should never have been sold off and the hundreds of houses that will bring back to Portsmouth. However, the issue of Ministry of Defence housing is huge, because of the years of managed decline under the previous Government. There has been no real investment, just sticking plasters.
Portsmouth in particular has been underfunded, and those in naval properties miss out more than most, because they can be in their homes for longer than those in other services as they are based at the port. There is a cap on void works, which means that, if a family moves out, the house needs renovating and it will be withdrawn. This causes undue stress to families who have already selected schools, sorted out their removals and left jobs. There is not always a guarantee of a house in the same area.
There is so much to say on behalf of Portsmouth service personnel, but, lifting words from the pages of the report, I invite the Committee and the Ministers to meet me, the contractors and service personnel in Portsmouth to see the reality of the situation.
Mr Dhesi
My hon. Friend is 100% right. She is also speaking with considerable experience, because of the importance of Portsmouth to our nation’s defence, and the sheer scale of its service accommodation. Indeed, I look forward to visiting Portsmouth. The Defence Committee, along with its staff, will be visiting the city very soon. And, yes, every instance of substandard accommodation is unacceptable, and we must collectively work to rectify matters.