Oral Answers to Questions

Alistair Strathern Excerpts

Monday 2nd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

The hon. Lady makes an important point. The doubling in this Parliament of our investment into autonomy will be directed in significant part towards marine technology. Her part of the world—the south-west—plays a leading role in that. She urges action across Government, so I hope she will see that the shipbuilding and marine autonomy plan that we will publish shortly will show exactly what we are doing on a number of fronts.

[Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)]

T7. When visiting UK service personnel overseas at a NATO airbase, I was appalled to learn that many had been penalised by their home insurers by virtue of being posted abroad, despite the fact that these companies have signed up to the armed forces covenant. That goes against the very principle of the covenant, so I was glad that, after writing to many home insurance companies, a few, including Aviva and Hastings, have changed that policy. Does the Minister agree that, if insurers are going to sign up to the covenant, they need to make sure that they are living up to every single part of its important principles?

[The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I know that more than 14,000 private organisations have signed the armed forces covenant, and one of its core principles is that service personnel should face no disadvantage compared with other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. I am glad that some insurance companies have taken steps to address this issue, and I urge all businesses to ensure that their policies fully support the armed forces community and reflect their commitment to the covenant.

Defence: 2.5% GDP Spending Commitment

Alistair Strathern Excerpts

Monday 11th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

We cannot wish away the threats, and we cannot wish away the conflicts, which is why it behoves any Government to ensure that we have the armed forces that are capable and equipped to deter those who would do us harm. On the question of conflicts, our support for Ukraine is steadfast. That conflict could be ended today if Putin withdrew from his illegal invasion of that sovereign country. On the middle east, we have argued and worked—in opposition and now in government—for a ceasefire in Gaza that would allow the immediate release of all hostages and the necessary flooding of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. That is a first step towards a political process that must be directed towards a two-state solution, which is the only guarantee of long-term peace and security in that region.

[Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)]

I had the privilege of starting my day in Shefford, just up the road from the Chicksands base in my constituency, marking Armistice Day with local veterans and the wider community. I welcome today’s commitment to ensure that we finally have a credible plan to get to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, but as the Secretary of State has set out, it is about not just what we spend but how we spend it. The last Government spent millions on armed forces accommodation but all too often left the forces in my constituency in shocking situations. Will this Government be different in ensuring that our armed services can finally access the quality of accommodation they deserve on local bases?

[John Healey]

My hon. Friend is right. Time and again surveys of armed forces personnel show that poor-quality housing, which would be intolerable in civilian life, is cited as a reason for low morale and an intention to leave the forces early. This is an underlying problem that we will fix. We will not be able to do that overnight but we are determined that we will provide the accommodation and housing that our heroes in uniform have a right to expect.