"My Lords, the focus has been on the defence investment plan, which is, of course, crucial, but does the Minister agree that capability is not just about capital investment? Resources expenditure, which is treated differently, is crucial. It pays for the fuel and spares that our people need to conduct …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, signals matter, to friends as well as to enemies. No matter how the Government now seek to parse this decision, they have created the perception that their appetite for sanctions will be limited by the degree of pain the measures cause us. Does the Minister think that sending …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, in his speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, the Prime Minister warned of the dangerous time in which we live. He went on to say:
“In the 1930s, leaders were too slow to level with the public about the fundamental shift in mindset that was required. …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, does the Minister recognise that, when we refer to the defence industry these days, we are talking not about the traditional defence companies but about industry much more widely? We have seen clear examples of this in the Ukraine war. Will he therefore ensure that whatever multilateral funding …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, can the Minister confirm that sufficient consideration is being given to the maintenance of adequate stocks of petrol and jet fuel for the military, for their ongoing military operations and their essential training, and that consideration is also being given to alleviating any pressures from the price rises …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, has the Minister seen reports that members of defence companies are being refused accounts with challenger banks? The whole issue of de-banking, the difficulty that defence companies are having in finding suitable accommodation to rent, and the removal, with the assistance of the Edinburgh Council, of Leonardo’s recruiting …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, we have spoken before in this Chamber about the link between the war in Sudan and instability more widely in the Horn of Africa. Does the Minister agree that we need to do much more to persuade and convince the people of this country that this is not …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, I offer my sympathies to the Minister for being put up, once again, to defend the indefensible. Would he agree that the people of this country have a right to expect their leaders to, well, lead? The need is not in doubt. The Prime Minister goes to places …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"Does the Minister accept that some of the difficult political challenges facing western societies today are a consequence of the destruction of the faith that people have in the effectiveness and fairness of the socio-political economic model following the financial crash of 2007 and the economic consequences? Therefore, issues such …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech
"My Lords, surely the point here is not the threat from Iranian missiles, which would be operating at extreme range with limited payload and very poor accuracy. The lessons to be drawn from this conflict are the vulnerability of military and civilian sites to combined missile and drone attack, which …..." Lord Stirrup - View Speech