Dan Jarvis
MP for Barnsley North · Labour · United Kingdom
“To give some credit to the Opposition, they recognised that resilience gap while in government and launched a new website to share preparedness guidance with the public. However, that website stopped short of a proper campaign; not enough people noticed it, and those who did found the guidance hard to follow.”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am genuinely grateful to the hon. Member for the reasonable way in which he has presented quite a long list of questions today. I will endeavour to work my way through them in as systematic a way as I can; if I miss anything, though, I am happy to write to him or meet him to discuss this matter, not least because it is my intention that…”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who speaks with great authority on these matters, not least from her own time in government, and she is right to make the point in the way that she does.”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“There is a job of work that I hope every Member will do, namely looking into their own communities and encouraging their constituents to engage with this messaging and specifically, when they think they might be eligible—the criterion is fairly broad—to sign up for the register. The hon. Member rightly mentioned cost of living pressures.”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Fundamentally, the hon. Gentleman makes an important point, and I agree with him. He is right that preparedness needs to be driven at a national level, which is precisely why we have launched a national campaign.”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Member has made a series of important points. I join her in thanking the emergency services for the extremely important work that they do in communities throughout the country. She was right to mention volunteers.”
House of Commons27 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
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“Well, I agree with the hon. Lady on one thing, which is that what we spend the money on does matter. She is right about that. We part company at that point, not least because I am not entirely clear what her party’s policy is with regard to NATO membership. Not so long ago, the party was advocating departing. The only people who would welcome that are Putin and his cronies in Russia.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend makes important points. We are investing £400 million a year in UK Defence Innovation, and I hope and am sure that she will welcome that. She made an important point about how we direct spend towards the north-east, not least given its long track record of sending people to serve in our armed forces. That is an entirely reasonable challenge, and is one that the Department is considering. I look forward to discussing it with her further.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Let me make a point of consensus. The hon. Member is right to say that training is critical because it underpins our readiness, and that is precisely why I reprofiled some of the spend to ensure that we can maximise our readiness, given the nature of the threats that we face. I will look carefully at the other points he raised, as I have done previously, and come back to him.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend makes an important point, and that is why we have launched the Defence Office for Small Business Growth. That provides part of the answer to his question, but I know that my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry has listened carefully to the points he has made and will want to engage with him further on them.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The easier option would be to make commitments for which we could not evidence how we will pay for them. That would provide perhaps some short-term sugar rush, but it would not be the right way to proceed. That is why I have come to the House to say that, yes, we will honour the commitments that we have made to NATO allies about the trajectory to 3.5%, but that the appropriate way to do so is in the context of the next spending review and not in this defence investment plan.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is important to understand, as I know the hon. Member does, the symbiotic relationship between national security and economic growth. This Government have been incredibly keen to ensure that we can make progress on both those areas. There is an obvious clear connection between the two, but our strong sense is that it would be deeply irresponsible to bring forward measures for which we could not evidence how we would pay for them. All the items that we have brought forward in the defence investment plan are underpinned by resource, and we can point to where that money will come from. We think that that is the responsible way to proceed. That is why there is clarity on the next spending review being the appropriate fiscal moment to make a contribution that will get us to the trajectory of 3% and then 3.5%.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful for the work that my hon. Friend does with Italy, which is a key ally, and I am grateful for her welcome for the announcement of the commitment to GCAP, which was signed recently by the Prime Minister. Her second point is absolutely right—she should challenge us and hold us to account on that. She will have heard the response I gave to her relatively near neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah), just a few moments ago. I look forward to working with them both on that particular matter.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I know that my hon. Friend has consistently raised those points, and I am grateful to him for doing so. In the interests of time and not causing Madam Deputy Speaker further ire, let me say that given the points he has raised and his interest in the matter, we will bring him into the Department and give him a briefing on the work we are doing.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I gently say to the hon. Lady that under the previous Government, Albion and Bulwark were tied up, never to go to sea again. She will have heard the point I made earlier about the deal with the Netherlands, and I hope she will welcome that.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Gentleman’s constituency has very long-standing defence interests, and of course we will want to work closely with him in that regard. I think he will acknowledge that there was £1 billion of investment in new medium helicopters and other capabilities, but given his interest as the local MP, I would be very happy to discuss it with him further.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I can confirm that. Let me also take the opportunity to say how much we value the working relationship with BAE. It is a great company employing thousands of workers around the country, and we will want to work very closely with it on the back of this plan.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I always listen very carefully to the right hon. Gentleman. He has made a number of entirely reasonable points based on constituency interest. Rather than running through all of them now, I am very happy to get back to him with a more detailed response.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I understand that the Dorset Innovation Park is excellent. I can confirm that as a consequence of the investment that this Government are making through the defence investment plan, there will be a whole range of opportunities for the kind of businesses that my hon. Friend represents in her constituency and for businesses right around the country. As I say, I am hugely proud that we will be generating 60,000 jobs and creating economic growth in every corner of the country, including in Dorset.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Diego Garcia is important for our national defence, but the assumptions I have had to make are to ensure that we have the right capabilities at the right time, given the nature of the world we operate in. I do not think anybody disputes that the world is a very difficult, complex and dangerous place. It is the job of defence and of the UK Government to ensure that we have the right resource and capabilities. That is why Iusb have been working hard to secure more resource and have sharpened our list of capabilities. That is also why I have been working with Treasury colleagues to ensure that defence will be the No. 1 priority at the next spending review.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Gentleman will see from the document that we are investing £300 million in the collaborative combat aircraft order. If he has further concerns and would like to discuss them with me or a ministerial colleague, we would be very happy to do that.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Our defence spending will mean billions of pounds of investment in Scotland, which will create good jobs for people, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and I am very proud of that. The Government have had to make tough decisions. We have been honest about them, because we must ensure that we have the resource to invest in the capabilities required to keep the country safe. Those are the choices that we have taken, and we have taken them in our country’s best interests. I am afraid that not everyone will always agree with them—that is the nature of these things—but I have to do right by defence, our armed forces and the nation. I am content that this defence investment plan, a copy of which we will place in the Library of the House, does that.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I recognise that the right hon. Gentleman and I are unlikely to agree on the best approach when it comes to expenditure and defence, but I hope he will recognise that we have published the defence diplomacy strategy, and that we work closely across Government to align our resources and make sure we are contributing responsibly, along with our international allies. We take our obligations very seriously, not least as a leading member of NATO, but fundamentally this Government have an absolute requirement to make sure we safeguard our national security. That is a priority for this Government, as I hope it would be a priority for any Government, and we have to ensure we have appropriate levels of resource to do that. That requires prioritisation and difficult decisions, and that is what we have done.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am trying to help the right hon. Lady out here. This defence investment plan brings forward £15 billion of new investment; it sits alongside a commitment to spend £298 billion, and represents a 27% real-terms increase. I gently invite the right hon. Lady to review the record of the Government of which she was a part. This Government are putting in place the resource we need to secure our national security, which I hope is a shared endeavour across this House, even if not everybody is necessarily signed up to the plan.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question, not least because it provides me with an opportunity to say how much we value the relationship and constructive partnership we have with our friends in Japan—I have engaged with my opposite number on a number of occasions over the past couple of weeks. GCAP is about building a sixth-generation fighter jet for the UK. This will take some time, and the programme is in its early stages, but it is already generating 4,500 jobs, with many more jobs coming online in due course. That is a good investment on behalf of the UK, and we very much welcome our partnership and relationship with both Japan and Italy.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Lady is right to raise concerns about the nature of the threat—it absolutely needs to focus all our minds, as well as those of our European and NATO partners. That is why we have brought forward this defence investment plan, making sure the capabilities that are in place will deliver the effect we need as early as possible. I agree with her concerns about the nature of the threat we face from Russia and—she and I have debated this on numerous occasions—other states as well. What we have to do is marshal the resources and capabilities to ensure we are best prepared, working alongside our allies. That is what this defence investment plan will do, but I accept the basic point that we will want and need to do more.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I completely agree with the point that my hon. Friend has made. It is important to underline that we are looking for some financial support from the SNP for those colleges, but he is right to make the point in the way that he does. I am proud that the investment that we have brought forward today will affect communities right across the country and generate 6,000 jobs around the UK.”
House of Commons30 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“On Thursday I will be at the NATO headquarters to co-chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and secure the arms and ammunition that Ukraine’s forces need to fight Putin’s war machine. Let me end by saying something that I have always believed: the defence of our nation is a shared endeavour. It falls to those of us who step forward to protect the country in and out of uniform. We owe a debt of gratitude to all those people who exposed themselves to risk yesterday and to those who will do so tonight, tomorrow and in the future. I have a responsibility now to them to ensure that they get what they need, and I am determined to fulfil those duties. I commend this statement to the House.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We will use every measure available to prevent the trade in sanctioned goods that funds Putin’s illegal war. Yesterday’s operation demonstrates that the UK’s commitment to securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine is absolute. I know that President Zelensky thanked the UK following the interdiction, yet we should remember that it is us who owe the Ukrainian people. They have now resisted Putin’s full-scale invasion for more than four years and suffered under the pain of occupation for more than 12 years, and still they fight—for their security and for ours; for their values and for ours. Yesterday I spoke to the Ukrainian Defence Minister to assure him that although there has been a change in leadership in UK defence, there has been no change in our position: the UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“And we know who suffers from the shadow fleet: sanctioned oil is bankrolling Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps fund the missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their homes, destroy their infrastructure and break their will. This operation deals another blow to Putin. We are clear with Russia about our intentions and our basis to act. We do not seek escalation, but we will always take the necessary steps to enforce UK sanctions. The UK has sanctioned over 550 Russian shadow fleet vessels. That has had a material impact. Nearly 200 have been forced to anchor because of the action of the UK and our partners. Yesterday’s operation sends a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can, and will, act against the Russian war machine.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I can confirm to the House that this operation was conducted in accordance with international law, including the United Nations convention on the law of the sea, and the relevant domestic legislation. Yesterday’s operation follows the support that the UK has provided the US and France in the interdiction of several shadow fleet ships this year. In March, my right hon. and learned Friend the Prime Minister made clear our intention to interdict shadow fleet vessels at a time and place of our choosing. This had a clear deterrent effect, with many vessels taking longer and more costly routes to evade action taken by the UK and our allies. Let me expand on why this operation matters. We know who benefits from the shadow fleet: over 700 vessels are used to move around 40% of Russian oil.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I know that the whole House will join me in expressing the deepest respect and sincere thanks to the hundreds of people who were involved. The vessel is now secured outside of port limits at Weymouth anchorage. A 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences. All other 24 crew members remain on board and are assisting the NCA. This is a live criminal investigation, and further updates will be provided at the appropriate moment. In the days leading up to this interdiction, UK armed forces, supported by our allies, including France, to whom I am very grateful, closely tracked and monitored the vessel on the grounds that it was suspected of using a false flag. This was a vessel that was sanctioned by the UK, sailing without nationality and transporting sanctioned Russian oil.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“They worked closely in this operation with specialist officers from the National Crime Agency and were supported by aircraft from the maritime air group, including Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8, Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland and minehunter HMS Ledbury. I take this opportunity to recognise the vital contribution of the Home Office’s border security command maritime teams. This was a highly complex operation that was executed with remarkable precision. Lasting six hours, this Royal Navy-led interdiction was the first of its kind for UK forces, and was the result of careful and meticulous planning across multiple Government Departments and agencies. All military and law enforcement personnel are safely accounted for.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It has been some time since I left the armed forces, and the tactics, technology and threats have changed beyond recognition. What have remained constant, however, are the professionalism, courage and extraordinary skill of our servicemen and women. Those virtues were exemplified in full yesterday in the English channel. In the early hours of the morning, 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight, Royal Marine commandos fast-roped under the cover of darkness on to the deck of the Smyrtos, a 244-metre oil tanker, which at the time of interception was travelling at 10 knots. Within a matter of minutes, our Marines had seized control of the vessel without resistance.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will update the House on UK operational activity against the Russian shadow fleet. Before I begin, I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (John Healey), who led the Department through a period of growing instability with clarity of purpose and sure judgment. I thank him sincerely for all that he did as Secretary of State. He leaves office safe in the knowledge that our armed forces are better prepared and better supported than when he assumed it. This is my first appearance in the House since my appointment as Secretary of State for Defence. It is a privilege and a responsibility beyond all measure, not least because this is a moment of challenge for our nation, and it is my job to make sure that we rise to meet that moment.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I hope he will also understand that colleagues across Government have been working on the defence investment plan for many, many months. It is a hugely important piece of work. It is the first line-by-line defence budget in 20 years. I fully appreciate the desire of the shadow Defence Secretary to see the contents of the plan published as soon as possible, and I absolutely share that desire. Since being appointed Defence Secretary just a couple of days ago, I have worked very closely with my Department and colleagues across Government to ensure that we progress this work as an absolute priority. The Prime Minister has said that we will publish it before the NATO summit next month, and we will.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I was saving him up, not least because he is someone that I hold in the very highest of regard. He is an honourable and gallant Member, and it is very widely recognised that he has provided outstanding service to our country in the most difficult circumstances that anyone could ever imagine. I am beyond proud that he sits on this side of the House, and I look forward to listening to him and working closely with him in the future. Entirely reasonably, the shadow Secretary of State asked about the defence investment plan. I hope, in what I intend to be the spirit of constructive consensus, that he recognises that this Government have spent over £11 billion more this year on defence than the Conservatives spent in their last year of government.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Member asked about the timing of the operation, but I can say to him—and he will know this from his own time as a Minister in the Department—that the activity that was brilliantly and bravely executed yesterday was the result of weeks of military and operational planning. I know that he will understand very well that the UK has played a critical role in the interdiction of a number of shadow fleet ships in recent months, including through close co-operation with our US and French counterparts. The Prime Minister, as he mentioned, made clear back in March our intention to interdict shadow fleet vessels at a time and place of our choosing, and that is what we chose to do. The shadow Defence Secretary mentioned the former Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak (Al Carns).”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for his welcome. I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak to him on Friday evening. I do want to work constructively with him and colleagues on both sides of the House. I said in my opening remarks that I believe very strongly that the defence of our nation should be a shared endeavour. That is always the approach I have taken in this House, and I very much hope that it is the approach that we can continue with. I am also grateful to him for his support for yesterday’s action, as well as the cross-party consensus that I am, as I am sure he is, genuinely proud of with regard to Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. I understand why the hon.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend, not least because she has been a doughty champion of the garrison town that is Aldershot. She speaks with great passion and knowledge about these matters. She is right to raise concerns about the threat that we face from Russia; it is a threat that I have spent the last two years dealing with. She is also right about the need for a whole-of-Government approach. I championed that approach in my previous role across the Home Office and Cabinet Office. Now, within the Ministry of Defence, I look forward to working with my colleagues across Government to ensure we have the appropriate defences to guard against the threats that we undoubtedly face from Russia.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is very important that we as a Department work very closely with our colleagues in the Treasury, and I am very pleased to be joined on the Front Bench today by the Chancellor. I also discussed these matters with the Foreign Secretary earlier on today.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the very constructive tone of his comments, and I am keen to work with him and his Liberal Democrat colleagues on these matters. He is absolutely right to raise the deterrent effect. The Prime Minister’s announcement back in March has been extremely helpful in that regard. I understand and agree with the sentiment of the hon. Gentleman’s points. He will understand that because there is an ongoing, live criminal investigation, I am not able to say anything more about the specifics regarding this vessel and the oil contained within it. The hon. Gentleman made important points about sanctions and the need to ensure that we are working across Government. I can give him the assurances that he seeks. That absolutely will be our approach.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has an important and close constituency interest in these matters, for his comments. I give him the assurances that he seeks. He raised a number of important points. Given his close interest in these matters, I suggest that he has a briefing from the Minister for the Armed Forces, who has just made that offer to him. We look forward to working closely with him on this.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, as I always am, for his sage counsel on these matters; he has been talking about them for very many years. He referenced the presence of the Chancellor on the Front Bench. The Chancellor is someone who cares very deeply about our national security; that is why she is here—to lend that support. The right hon. Gentleman understandably raised a very important point about the risk and threat of retaliatory action from Russia. He will know, because he and I have discussed it on many occasions, that I have spent the last two years thinking very carefully about that particular point. Of course, we take every measure and use all the tools at our disposal to guard against that, but I think he will agree that, ultimately, the activity we saw in the English channel yesterday was the right one.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his reference to 42 Commando. He has been a long-standing supporter of Ukraine, and I hope he heard in my earlier remarks that my first international call as Secretary of State was with my counterpart in Ukraine, who I will meet on Thursday. His point about the FCDO licences was well made, and the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has arrived right on cue.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, not least as a fellow veteran and someone who has served on the Intelligence and Security Committee, and he speaks with authority about these matters. He has made an important point, and I have been given assurances by the Minister for Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant), that we keep these things under close review.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My right hon. Friend makes an important point, and there is widespread agreement for it. She will know that I spent much of the past two years doing exactly what she describes, and I look forward to working closely with my predecessor to ensure that we prosecute Russia’s proxies, and counter its illegal activity wherever it raises its ugly head.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“He knows how seriously I take those matters, and I will work on them closely with colleagues in other Departments, including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. No doubt we will both have more to say about it soon.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, not least for the experience that he brings to these matters. He knows the huge regard that I have for his constituents, not least because of their long-standing support for the armed forces. He is right to praise them and to reference the importance of their reputation. The reputation of our armed forces is something we can all be proud of, and it goes right around the world. I hope, however, that he will understand that the purpose of my appearance today is to give an operational update on the activity that took place in the English channel yesterday, and that a couple of days into the job I am not in a position to provide a further update on the matter he raises.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend is exactly right to raise those points in the way he does. I am joined on the Front Bench by the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), who takes such matters incredibly seriously, and there is huge activity right across Government. It is also important to highlight the continued support for Ukraine, not least the UK’s largest ever drone package for Ukraine, which delivered 120,000 drones this year. So, yes, we must squeeze the Russian economy, and support our Ukrainian partners to ensure that they can stay in the fight and win it.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The sound that the hon. Member described at the beginning of her remarks is one that I am very familiar with—it is one that still, to this day, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I know she has a long-standing interest in these matters, and she raised an important point. I give her the assurance that we will work collaboratively across Government to maximise the deterrent effect on Russia and its illegal activities. Wherever we can seek to do more to prosecute those activities, we will absolutely do so.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the meticulous planning that these complex military operations involve. There are lots of moving parts. Risk is carried by those brave enough to undertake such operations, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. The other huge debt of gratitude that we owe is to the family members of those who step forward, of whom I know my hon. Friend is proudly one.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am genuinely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his comments, because he has spoken with real authority on these matters for many years. I hope that he understands that at this particular moment—as we seek to ensure that the DIP does precisely what I think all of us want it to do—I am not going to delve into the specifics of precisely what might be contained in it, but that this Government are very clear that we will always back British shipbuilding.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comments, and I share the sentiment he expressed at the beginning of his question. I anticipated that he might seek to draw reference to the hugely important industrial activity that takes place in and around his constituency in South Yorkshire. This Department and this Government believe strongly that defence is an engine for growth, and I am acutely aware of the economic opportunities that exist in his part of the world. He is right to reference the fact that this is the first type of activity of its kind. It will sow the seeds of doubt in our adversary’s mind. He will understand that I am not going to speculate about what we might do in future, but the simple act of the Prime Minister’s commitment back in March has had a significant deterrent effect, as will the activities of yesterday morning.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Gentleman, I have to say, is a constant source of disappointment to me, not least because I believe he has the potential to be the statesperson of his party.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It would be very mean of me to say that it is a low bar, so I will not say that. The hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Richard Tice) is unfair to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor. I think it is important that she took the opportunity to be here; that was a demonstration of her commitment to this important piece of work, and I for one am very grateful for that.”
House of Commons15 June 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗