"My Lords, has any foreign interest been expressed in purchasing Ajax at any stage? If it is not going to be purchased, will it be a UK-only piece of equipment?..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, the Prime Minister made strong welcome statements to NATO allies about the UK’s commitment to defence at the summit in The Hague on 24 June. He pledged the United Kingdom to increase spending on defence and wider security to 5% of GDP by 2035, with a projected split …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, with the greatest respect to the Minister, is this not much more than a simple defence matter? If the laser used was a weapons system, not just laser torching by a member of the “Yantar” crew, is this not a serious disregard of the 1980 UN protocol and …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"I was stressing the point that the agreement is about the Chagos Archipelago, but we are interested in Diego Garcia. If Diego Garcia is not available, the treaty requires us to continue to pay Mauritius for the 100 years or whatever it is. We would then be paying for something …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My concern is that we would have to continue to pay under the present agreement, even though there was not a base available...." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 53 in my name and that of the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Houghton of Richmond, who unfortunately cannot be here this evening. It is clearly a probing amendment to give the Committee an opportunity to consider the implications for the UK of …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, there is general agreement about the importance to the UK’s defence security, and to the USA’s, that a stable and legal arrangement should be agreed. The 100-year and more period of this treaty makes some valiant assumptions about the longevity of the relationships between the countries involved. Governments …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lady, Baroness Pidding. As widely acknowledged, far from crumbling, Ukraine under President Zelensky’s inspiring leadership and with western help has held off all Russia has unleashed over nearly four years of combat. Putin’s 2022 special operation assumed that there would …..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, I have suffered a number of cancelled trains on my journeys, and cancellations have been explained as being due to a driver shortage. Is there a driver problem—a lack of numbers—or is there some other likely explanation?..." Lord Craig of Radley - View Speech
"My Lords, I, too, have received and acknowledge many emails and letters. What surprised me is that the vast majority expressed deep reservations and anxieties. I wish to record my appreciation of and thanks to all those who have been in touch with me; it has affected my own thinking.