Topical Questions
Monday, 19 October 2026
Contributions
Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Reform)Reform UK
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Defence (Wes Streeting)Labour
Last week in Washington, I met my US counterpart in person for the first time to discuss a range of issues including Ukraine, Russian aggression and Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism. In recent weeks, we have seen threats to our airbases here at home and deadly attacks on civilians in Saudi Arabia. The first responsibility of any Government is to defend the nation, and this Government are stepping up to meet the challenge with the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war. We are building a country ready to fight and a Britain worth fighting for.
Since 2020, the Royal Navy has lost more than half of its frigates, its entire landing craft capability and its only icebreaker, and all of its attack submarines are now inoperable. I fear that our ability to protect the Falkland Islands is now in doubt, so will the Secretary of State take the defence of His Majesty’s overseas territories seriously and rebuild our naval capability?
It is simply irresponsible, not to mention inaccurate, to suggest that the UK is incapable of defending the Falkland Islands. We are perfectly capable of doing so, and we had a very visible demonstration of that only recently. Maybe if Reform had a defence spokesperson, they might have noticed.
Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)Labour
T2. I am proud that my constituency is home to one of the largest numbers of military family housing in the country, and that last year, this Labour Government improved 100 of those homes. Does the Minister agree that we must go further and give all our military heroes the good homes that they deserve, and when I have the findings of my military housing survey, will he meet me to hear what they would like to improve?
The Minister for Veterans and People (Mr Calvin Bailey)Labour
We are rapidly improving defence housing; we have already upgraded 1,250 homes, with a further 1,000 brought back into use this year. We have introduced customer commitments for service families, including clear pledges on housing standards, customer service and listening to families’ experiences. I will find the time to meet those people who live in service housing in my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Mr SpeakerSpeaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)Conservative
As it is the first time we have debated, may I begin by welcoming the new Secretary of State to his position? On 26 July, he appeared on the Camilla Tominey show on GB News and was asked, “If the Chancellor of the Exchequer does not stump up enough defence spending, will he resign?” The Secretary of State replied, “Absolutely.” Is that still the case?
Absolutely. My answer is the same as it was before, and the reason I could give that answer so confidently in my first week in office was because this Government are already delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war. The Chancellor resigned from the previous Government on a matter of principle. He is committed to invest more at the Budget, and he will set out the path to 3% and 3.5% at next year’s spending review. I trust the Chancellor a hell of a lot more than I trust the record of the previous Government, who under-invested in defence for more than a decade.
The Chancellor resigned then to go to 3% on defence. Bearing that in mind, on the same day, the Secretary of State also appeared on Times Radio and was asked by Adam Boulton if a failure to deliver on defence spending would be a resignation issue for him, as it had been for the now Chancellor. The Secretary of State replied: “It is. It is absolutely, for me, a matter of principle.” It begs a simple question. If the Budget does not deliver 3% for defence by 2030, will he resign?
This is what happens when the shadow Secretary of State writes his question before listening to the answer to his first question. The Chancellor has been very clear. I do not think repetition is a crime in the Commons, so I will repeat what I said just a moment ago: at next year’s spending review, the Chancellor will set out the path to 3% and 3.5%.
Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)Labour
T3. Dorset Innovation Park has rapidly become a hub for defence companies, but we now need a college on site to ensure that more young people can gain the qualifications they need to stay and work locally. Will the Minister work with Yeovil college, the innovation park, the Department for Education and me to establish a satellite college on site, which will give more young people a direct pathway into high-skilled, well-paid defence jobs?
The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Luke Pollard)Labour (Co-op)
I was hugely impressed by what I saw when I visited Dorset Innovation Park. Awarding Yeovil college status as one of the five defence technical excellence colleges was good news not only for Yeovil and Leonardo and its helicopter business, but for the wider region. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss how we can operate more of the hub-and-spoke models that the DTECs deliver up and down the country.
Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)Liberal Democrat
T5. Leuchars station in North East Fife has seen investment as an Army base recently, and it is home to a significant military airfield, too. I welcome service families to the community in North East Fife, but there is always pressure on local services, particularly in areas such as education. Can I be advised as to what engagement takes place, so that we can ensure we are as welcoming a community as possible?
There are two aspects in answering this question. The first is the provision that we provide to our veterans; we are pleased to be rolling out the Valour network, with announcements for further centres soon. The second is the roll-out of the armed forces covenant and making sure that all local service providers play their part in delivering for our service families and their communities.
Alan Strickland (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor) (Lab)Labour
T4. North-east MPs and business leaders are very keen for an update on procurement for Skynet, the Ministry of Defence’s secure satellite communications system. That is because, were Lockheed Martin UK successful, 500 jobs would be created in Sedgefield in my constituency, and it would be a huge boost to the north-east’s growing satellite industry. The Minister cannot comment on the outcome, but can we get an update on when we might expect this important decision?
I thank my hon. Friend for the work he does in raising defence business opportunities in his patch. This is an ongoing procurement, and no final decisions have been made. Both the UK-based bidders are subject to full evaluation of their proposals and must offer satellites that are assembled, integrated and tested in the UK. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)Conservative
T6. Last month, our oldest allies, the Portuguese, hosted NATO’s REPMUS—robotic experimentation and prototyping with maritime unmanned systems—event, and I had the privilege of attending for a couple of days. Over three weeks, member nations worked together to test the interoperability of autonomous drones, submersibles and surface vessels. Will the Secretary of State join me in thanking the Portuguese navy for hosting this important event again? Will he commit to exploring why the 2022 defence agreement between our two nations has not yet been finalised?
I think I was the only Plymouth MP not at REPMUS, given that the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) and my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth Moor View (Fred Thomas) attended. I support the work that the hon. Member for South West Devon is doing. We have a huge opportunity in marine autonomy to create more jobs and increase the lethality and deterrence of our Royal Navy. I am very happy to pick up the points that she raised.
Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)Labour
T7. How food reaches us is important, and 40% of British food is imported, almost all of it by sea. The combined value of British imports and exports by sea is around £1 trillion. During a crisis, it will be the role of the Royal Navy to protect that essential trade and ensure that imports reach Britain. What is the Minister doing to ensure that the Royal Navy is ready for that role, should we need it?
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Louise Sandher-Jones)Labour
I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an important topic. Protecting the vital sea routes on which Britain depends is a fundamental task of the Royal Navy. We are strengthening these capabilities through the strategic defence review and defence investment plan, including through investment in the hybrid Navy, which will bring together crewed warships, submarines and uncrewed systems.
Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)Liberal Democrat
T9. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Putin has proposed a meeting with President Xi and President Trump to agree a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Will the Secretary of State take this opportunity to confirm that Britain’s support for Ukraine to win this war is unwavering, no matter what dodgy deals are done by autocrats behind closed doors?
We support the diplomatic track that is being promoted by the Americans, which aims to bring together the Ukrainians and negotiators from Russia to bring an end to the war. Our position is clear, and I relayed this directly in Washington last week: there can be no decision about the Ukrainians without the Ukrainians; the peace would have to be acceptable to them. We will back Ukraine to the hilt.
Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab)Labour
T8. Last month, I visited Ukraine with colleagues from across the House. It was clear that Putin’s tactic of terrorising Ukrainian civilians is putting a huge strain on air defence, so I thank the Secretary of State and his Department for all we are doing on that front. We also saw the reckless damage done at Chernobyl, so I was pleased to see last week’s announcement of support for repairs there. Could the Secretary of State update the House on the timeline for that project, and the importance of securing that really sensitive site?
Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the fact that Ukraine continues to be subject to bombardment by Russia, which is targeting its energy facilities, we are working closely with our Ukrainian friends on this, delivering £17 million to support repairs to the site. We want those repairs to be undertaken as quickly and safely as possible, while recognising the challenging planning environment in which we are operating.
Mr Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead) (LD)Liberal Democrat
Support for defence bonds now reaches far beyond political divides; it has spread from the Liberal Democrat Benches to former Conservative Defence Secretaries and many Labour Members. Given that broad support, can the Secretary of State confirm that he will make representations to the Chancellor about including defence bonds in his Budget next week?
I thank the hon. Member for his continuing support for defence. There are a variety of methods for increasing support for defence. I am grateful for the work he is doing, and I am always happy to have a conversation with him. In the meantime, the Government will continue to increase defence spending for our armed forces.
Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)Labour
Across Scotland, including in my constituency, innovative companies are helping to develop the UK’s space capabilities. Innovation in the sector, however, comes with considerable up-front costs, as new technologies require extensive research and development and rigorous testing to the point of destruction. What steps is the Ministry of Defence taking to support research and development, overcome these financial barriers and help businesses in the space sector to grow and thrive?
I thank my hon. Friend for her interest in championing space. As a space nerd myself, the subject is close to my heart. In fact, I have had two brilliant small ministerial group meetings on space in the last week alone. I direct the House’s attention to the new UK space strategy, which was published only a few weeks ago. It sets out how we will grow the space sector, creating more jobs and providing more testing, more launch capability and more resilience for our space assets.
Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)Conservative
Veterans injured serving our country can see their pension credit cut because their military compensation is counted as income. How is that consistent with the armed forces covenant? Will the Minister commit to working with the Department for Work and Pensions to end this deduction?
I recognise the challenge raised by the right hon. Member. That is something I am looking at.
Frank McNally (Coatbridge and Bellshill) (Lab)Labour
Businesses such as Cairnhill Structures in Coatbridge play a critical role in supporting infrastructure repairs in Ukraine, including the rebuilding of bridges destroyed by Russian forces, to help reconnect Ukrainian communities. Does my right hon. Friend agree that our continued support for Ukraine can go hand in hand with strengthening Scottish industry, supporting skilled employment and driving economic growth? If he gets the opportunity, will he visit Cairnhill to see the work it is doing?
I would be delighted to visit, diary permitting, at the first available opportunity. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that investing in the UK’s defence and in Ukraine’s defence can also have a positive impact on jobs and growth here in the United Kingdom. We are determined to deliver that benefit for our country.
Jerome Mayhew (Broadland and Fakenham) (Con)Conservative
A moment ago, the Secretary of State for Defence said that the Government would set out a path to spending 3% of GDP on defence, but he forgot to say by which year that would happen. Will he take this opportunity to confirm that this is 3% defence spending by 2030?
I refer the hon. Gentleman to page 11 of “The Defence Investment Plan”. I also urge him to understand why, after the catastrophic misconduct of the Government of Liz Truss, we take a rather more prudent approach to the management of the public finances, and do not set out spending commitments without showing how we will pay for them.
Emma Lewell (South Shields) (Lab)Labour
The north-east has the highest rate of NEETs—those not in education, employment or training—and remains the region with the lowest level of Government defence investment. As the defence youth participation and employment pledge is signed by primes, and the north-east defence industry is largely based on small and medium-sized enterprises, can my right hon. Friend assure me that we will see some tangible support from that pledge for our region?
I can give my hon. Friend that commitment. Indeed, in front of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee last week, I highlighted my dissatisfaction with investment in the north-east. The Government have already taken steps since the general election to increase defence spending in the north-east, as the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry reported, but we can and will do more, including through the employment pledge.
Lara Bird (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) (SNP)Scottish National Party
Scotland is on the frontline of defending the High North, yet despite the very real threats we face, the UK Government spend seven times more on defence in south-east England than in the whole of Scotland combined. Given the very real threats that we face, and given that our coastland is currently undefended by the Royal Navy, will the Secretary of State commit to placing a surface-level vessel permanently on the north coast of Scotland?
Can I just say gently to the hon. Member that I think it is both inaccurate and irresponsible to suggest that Scotland’s coast is undefended? In the same spirit, I underscore that I am very willing to work with the Scottish Government in defence of the United Kingdom, regardless of our constitutional differences. It is important that we work together, and I hope we can do so, in the spirit in which I answered her question.
Al Carns (Birmingham Selly Oak) (Lab)Labour
Drones are changing the way we fight and the structures used to fight. America is creating the robotic uncrewed systems combatant command; Germany is creating an uncrewed regiment; and the Ukrainians have created the Unmanned Systems Force. What projects are we moving forward with, to revolutionise the approach used in the Army, Navy and Air Force?
May I first thank my hon. Friend for the leadership he showed in this space as a Minister in the Department, the work he is now championing, and the support and advice he provides to me? As he will know, whether we are talking about initiatives like the hybrid Navy, the collaborative combat aircraft programme or the heavy investment we are making in innovation and drone technology, we have to be ready for the fight ahead. That means innovating—not just out-producing, but out-innovating and building new systems and new platforms, rather than relying on old ones. I look forward to working with him closely on developing those.
Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)Liberal Democrat
During the Hillsborough law debate, the Prime Minister pledged his support for the families of the 1994 Chinook tragedy. I have since written to him, alongside my hon. Friends the Members for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) and for Wells and Mendip Hills (Tessa Munt). Sadly, our meeting has been pushed over to the Ministry of Defence. As we come up to the Prime Minister’s 100th day in his role, will the Secretary of State facilitate that meeting between the families and the Prime Minister?
I will certainly make sure that a meeting is arranged with my Department to discuss the issue.
Kevin Bonavia (Stevenage) (Lab)Labour
In the last few days, Ukraine’s satellite intelligence has been badly disrupted. Nobody’s defence should be dependent on someone else’s decision on whether to provide that support. What can the Secretary of State and the Government do to ensure that our defence intelligence is kept secure and sovereign?
I can give my hon. Friend an assurance on that. I can also reassure him that over the weekend, I was in contact with both the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, in the United States and Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara in Ukraine to try to improve the coverage and the capability of that intelligence.
I call the Father of the House.
Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con)Conservative
For all intents and purposes, Diego Garcia is an American military base, but the Government claim that to protect it, we must basically sell it to Mauritius at vast cost. There is one country in the world that does not acknowledge the International Court of Justice: the United States. Why do we not create a virtuous circle and sell the base to President Trump for £6 billion, and use that £6 billion to start the process of raising our defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030?
With great respect to the Father of the House, I do not think that is the right solution. I think we can reach an agreement with the United States and Mauritius—and before Opposition Front Benchers become too animated, let me just delicately point out that they were accused only last week by the United States of playing politics with national security. I could not agree more, and I hope that they can work in a more constructive spirit.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)Labour
My great-aunt was one of the thousands of Canary Girls who did vital but dangerous work in Britain’s munitions factories during both world wars. Those women have no national memorial. Does the Minister agree, as we approach our national day of remembrance, that that is a historical omission, and will he meet me to discuss a national memorial for the Canary Girls?
As a proud east Londoner, I learned as a child about the Woolwich Canaries, and the difficult conditions to which they were exposed in support of our war effort and to keep our armed forces equipped. The contribution of the Canary Girls, along with that of all civilian and military women, is recognised on the “Women of World War II” memorial in Whitehall. Because the responsibility for matters involving civilian wartime workers sits outside the Ministry of Defence, I direct my hon. Friend to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, but as an east London MP who knows very well of the great sacrifices of the Canaries, I would like to meet her and support her campaign.
Nowhere were those sacrifices greater than in Chorley. I call Sir Roger Gale.
Sir Roger Gale (Herne Bay and Sandwich) (Con)Conservative
Mr. Trump’s disgraceful show of support for Putin has clearly raised the stakes, not only in Ukraine but in the Baltic states and Poland. Given the perfidious nature of the current incumbent of the White House, will the Secretary of State reaffirm our commitment to NATO, and indicate very clearly that an attack on one NATO state is an attack on all of us, and that this country stands by its friends?
I can wholeheartedly give that commitment to the right hon. Member. This is a principle, but also a conviction that is held across the entire NATO alliance. Putin should be in no doubt that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of NATO territory. Let me place on record again that when I was in Washington last week, the United States, through the Secretary of War, thanked us for our leadership in Ukraine. It has not been an easy week for US-Ukraine relations—I would not pretend otherwise—but I think that we should recognise the support that the United States provides, and will continue to provide, for Ukraine. This country will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Andrew Cooper (Mid Cheshire) (Lab)Labour
My hon. Friend is aware of the unique case involving my constituent Rachel Gallagher, a former MOD civil servant who was released from her role under civil service nationality rules. While I accept that my constituent was not legally employable, I simply cannot accept that, after a decade of dedicated service, her accrued pension contributions have been declared void. Will the Minister meet me, so that we can ensure that an equitable resolution is found, and my constituent receives the full pension contributions that she earned in service to this country?
My hon. Friend is making a passionate case about a very complex and tragic issue. I agree to meet him, and I hope that we can find an equitable outcome for his constituent.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5419481.