Speeches by Norman.

“I thank the Leader of the House for the business. This seems a moment for the words of Philip Larkin: “What will survive of us is love.” It is a day of sadness and departings. I know that the whole House will want to join me in saluting the England football team. I simply say this to them: you went out to a foreign fie…”

“Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“Sorry to have joined the meeting late. Mr Keay, you talked about the defence investment plan. Bracketing frigates, could you explain how the DIP works in relation to the added capability that you are hoping to deploy in the High North? What additional value does it give us as a nation over time?”

“If you could add it to the list, that would be brilliant. Brigadier or Minister, is there anything else on the additional capability that we will get as a result of the defence investment plan?”

“That would be ruggedised for use in the Arctic.”

“That is not quite true, is it? If overseas territories start getting attacked—our ancient possessions and commitments—you seem to be putting us in a position where we cannot say we are unquestionably going to defend those places, yet we cannot at the same time say that there are allies who will necessarily defend them.…”

“Sure, but I am talking about wider commitments—our post-imperial commitments, if you like.”

“If we think about the way in which the US has changed its defence posture over the past 10 years—it has a massive emphasis on Asia-Pacific, an increasingly tough attitude towards NATO and the defence of Europe, and a more theatre-based view of defence—how do you think that plays out from a British perspective? We canno…”

“Obviously, the way we have configured our Navy over 100 or more years has partly been a reflection of maritime challenges in the north Atlantic, and increasingly in the High North as it opens up. What change in doctrine is going alongside the fact that we are not deploying destroyers and we have changed to a hybrid Nav…”

“Okay. So there is nothing about the High North in terms of the especially bitter or rugged conditions that would create a need for a capability dedicated to that theatre.”

“I raised it in the Daily Mail!”

“This is a total humiliation and embarrassment for the Government. Yesterday they published an emergency change to Government business in order to ram the Hillsborough law through this House, with no notice and an absolute minimum of scrutiny. Now they have backtracked again on their own business and cancelled the Oppos…”

“I cannot come to the Dispatch Box without registering my sadness, and I am sure that of everyone across this House, at the dreadful news about Ann Widdecombe. I am sure that we will talk about this later, but I just wanted to start with that. The Leader of the House is a good and honourable man, and he will be deeply e…”

“Oh!”

“Mr Speaker, I thank you for your gracious words, and I echo your thoughts and thanks to David Weir for all his service. Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“What a sporting week this has been! Youth, vitality, incredible physical stamina in the most testing of environments—and that is just the Leader of the House, whose birthday it was yesterday. He has never begrudged me my own naivety and inexperience, and I know that everyone present will join me in wishing him a massiv…”

“I thank the Leader of the House for the business. I know that he and the whole House will want to join me in congratulating the England football team on their win last night, although I must say I am not sure we should be thanking them for the trauma and heart-stopping cardiovascular workout that I, at least, experienc…”

“Recognising that the real Golden valley is in Herefordshire, will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“I think it is unfortunate that I was not allowed to conclude in the terms that—”

“I thank the Leader of the House for the business. I know the whole House will join me in thinking of the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela, of which we have just had news, and of course the victims of the train crash in Bedford and the victims of what now have been deemed aggravated terrorism-related attacks in E…”