Speeches by Twigg.

“I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and echo his words about the courage and professionalism of our service personnel. It is good that everyone has returned safely. Having a strong and capable military is essential to ensuring our economic security and freedom of trade. Is that not why financial instituti…”

“Following on from that, I have been raising this issue for a couple of years now, and I questioned the two previous Defence Secretaries, Ben Wallace and Grant Shapps. After my last question back in May 2024 to Grant Shapps, he said—this is part of his reply, so I am paraphrasing—“We are working with our European friend…”

“I am talking about the new one. If it is not in the new SDR as a priority, would that suggest it is not a real commitment to deliver that?”

“Do you have any idea of the timescale that would take? Just a ballpark?”

“It has to be as part of that?”

“Just to pursue that in terms of the integrated review, would it not have to be a Europe-wide system, rather than just a UK system? You are talking about a layered system as well, because it is not just missiles fired from the ground, but obviously aircraft and everything else. We have seen what happened, for instance, …”

“Would it be a case of us actually transferring and placing—I am being simplistic here—some of our system in other European countries, and not basing it all in the UK?”

“Basically, you are explaining the complications: it is about saying not just, “Let’s have an air-missile defence system,” but “What will that be? Where will it be placed?” There is little likelihood that you can have an umbrella across the whole of the UK. Even Israel cannot guarantee that. Is it about moving things cl…”

“And specified exactly what we want.”

“I am probably putting you in an impossible position here, but in cost terms, what are we talking? Is it in the billions or the hundreds of millions?”

“William, do you want to add anything?”

“So we would struggle?”

“We have touched on intelligence, and obviously we are pretty pre-eminent in Europe, but it took reliance on Starlink and American systems and so on. Are we anywhere near being able to stand on our own in Europe on that? I think I know the answer, but I would be interested in your view.”

“Based on where we are today, would we struggle to replace those capabilities if the US stepped back?”

“That is very helpful. I will follow on from Lincoln Jopp’s questions on the capability gaps if the US pulled out or reduced its commitment here. You touched on this—we have talked about refuelling aircraft, logistics and intelligence. There are already major logistics and capability shortfalls in NATO—it is not just us…”

“That may answer the question.”

“Rowan, to pick up something from your earlier conversation with Calvin Bailey, a lot of the focus at the moment in terms of why Europe needs to step up—and we need to step up—is on what the President and the Administration have said and done, but you were saying that it is actually more than that, which has not been hi…”

“Yes.”

“The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s latest report of 2023-24 lists eight defence projects as red and 36 as amber. That is about 90% of the projects. How do you categorise that performance, Mr Williams?”

“Mr Williams, could you set out for the Committee how your reform programme is going to deliver more equipment projects on time and to cost?”