Speeches by Twigg.

“Okay. Because of the time, my colleague will go on to the issue about the cost of the nuclear programme, and so on, but NISTA data shows that Dreadnought and the Spearfish torpedo programme are going from amber to being greyed out, and a co-production capability and the submarine waterfront infrastructure projects are …”

“As of today, are we failing to meet some of the capabilities that we should be meeting, or are being tasked to provide to NATO?”

“Clearly, there will be a timescale in which those targets should be met, so how many targets are we failing to meet within the timescales that have been set? Are we not meeting some of them?”

“That is not the question that I am asking.”

“The other thing that is troubling the Committee is that it says some cannot be reported for national security reasons. This has increased to five. How do we hold you to account when you are basically increasing the numbers and taking these out because of national security implications?”

“To put it more bluntly, have we got a shortfall at the moment?”

“So it’s troubled. If you look at the figures, it has gone from eight to 12, hasn’t it, in terms of red in a year?”

“I always look forward to reading the annual report. It is really good bedtime reading. You are very clear, again, about the NATO-first approach, which starts on page 30. How many capabilities that we are tasked to provide to NATO are we failing to provide at the moment? I am not asking about individual capabilities, ob…”

“But if you delve deeper into it, the SDR is very big on digital communications. A lot of this is problematic with the programmes—”

“Is that coinciding with the Defence Investment programme work as well?”

“Yes, but it is a serious concern, particularly given the developments in recent weeks.”

“It is going to be some years before it will be delivered, is it?”

“Can I ask you how you think the major project programme is going at the moment?”

“Given the present focus on the war in the middle east, there is concern that we should not lose focus on what is going on in Ukraine. On developing and strengthening our relationships with our allies, what are the Minister and his fellow Ministers doing to ensure that Putin does not take advantage of the current situat…”

“I congratulate the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee on his well-thought-out speech. I know the good work that his Committee is doing on defence expenditure. It is a real privilege and pleasure to see so many of my colleagues from the Defence Committee in the Chamber. They all do an excellent job—particularly the …”

“Could you remind the Committee what those near misses were?”

“What do you think the potential military scenarios are? Where could the clash be? Where could the spark be for the High North and the Arctic?”

“Are there any other scenarios that might occur?”

“It certainly makes the UK vulnerable, because it is that much closer to the UK. There are people in this country who think that the Ukrainian front—the eastern front—is way up there. Actually, coming down from the north, it is much closer to home, isn’t it?”

“Part of this has been covered in your answers already, but I want to delve deeper into Russia and its capabilities, and the potential military scenarios that may or may not occur.”