Strait of Hormuz: Merchant Shipping
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Lord Coaker(1 week, 2 days ago)
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Lord Coaker (Lab)
I do not often do this, but let me read the advice that I have had about UK bases involved in recent strikes, because I need to be clear that I am getting it right. The noble Baroness said in her opening remark why I would do this, so let me read the points. Our position on this has been consistent. The Government took a decision in Britain’s national interest not to get involved in the initial phase. We have acted in defence of our allies, including by approving the US to use our bases for the specific defensive and limited purposes of destroying Iran’s missiles at source. We remain in close communication with the US, including on our efforts to support the restoration of freedom of navigation through the strait, through our independent and defensive mission.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, none the less, the military personal in those bases in Oman and Bahrain will be at some degree of risk. What reassurance can the Minister give the House? When I visited Bahrain and Kuwait with HMS “Cumberland” through the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, I was immensely impressed by the work that they do there, so how can we keep them safe?
Lord Coaker (Lab)
The reassurance that I can give to the noble Baroness and to the people she knows is this. I can talk about the Ministry of Defence. Meetings have taken place across government, but I personally have met virtually every week with either defence attachés or the ambassadors from the region to talk to them. We have responded to their requests for help and support with respect to their own countries. Doing that helps to support the defence of our own personnel, whether that be people who are living there or our own Armed Forces personnel. I hope that gives the noble Baroness some reassurance that there is continued discussion with and involvement of the ambassadors, reflecting the opinions of their Governments. That is an important way in which we have tried to reassure not only the region but our people there as well.
Russian Shadow Fleet
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Lord Coaker(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Lord Coaker (Lab)
My understanding from the briefing that I had is that the action took place in international waters, and then it was brought back into UK territorial waters. An important point to make, just as a statement, is that the English Channel, although called the English Channel, is an international waterway; it is perfectly legal for legal ships to operate and to travel—even for warships, frankly—to go through the English Channel, providing their intent is not malign. That is an important comment for us to make. Then, of course, we have the territorial waters of our own country and the territorial waters of others in Europe. But as a specific answer to my noble friend’s question, my understanding is that the interdiction took place outside our territorial waters and the ship was then brought back into our territorial waters.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I declare my interest as being half Danish. The Danes have been especially concerned about this, and not just because of the damage it is doing to the war effort against Ukraine. Obviously, they live a lot closer to Russia, as do other Scandinavian countries, and we have had the build-up of troops on the Russian side of the Finnish border. Is it not the case that it might be easier for a big country such as Britain to board these vessels than a small country such as Denmark? To what extent can we co-operate through JEF and other international efforts in this regard? It would cause a catastrophic environmental incident if one of these vessels were to beach on one of the Scandinavian coasts.
Lord Coaker (Lab)
The noble Baroness makes a very important point. On what we may or may not do, we work very closely with all our allies, of course, including Denmark, but the noble Baroness makes a broader point about the importance of JEF and its work. In JEF, both in the maritime sphere and on land, we work with others to co-operate. She will know that we have troops in Estonia. I have also mentioned in the House that, only a couple of months ago, I was in Finland as part of a NATO operation. We were talking about the border between Finland and Russia. When you get within 30 or 40 miles of the Russian border and talk to people who live there, as I am sure many noble Lords have done, you understand the very real threat that they face; you understand the prospect, and their fear, that what is happening with respect to Russia in other parts of Europe might happen to them.
Defence Programmes Developments
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Lord Coaker(1 year, 8 months ago)
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Lord Coaker (Lab)
That is a really good question. On the first point about spending, the noble and gallant Lord will know that, notwithstanding the amount in the budget—there is 2.3% at the moment, and we have laid out and talked about the pathway to 2.5%—whatever amount of money the defence chiefs have to spend, they will always want to spend it in the best possible way. We have discussed with them a way of doing that ensuring that we have the newest and best possible equipment available to our Armed Forces, and that at times will mean decommissioning older equipment.
On the noble and gallant Lord’s second point, in terms of retention payments for aircraft engineers, as part of the Government's commitments to renew the nation’s contract with those who have served, eligible tri-service aircraft engineers will be given £30,000 when they sign up for an additional three years of service. From April 2025, this will be applicable to around 5,000 personnel in total. That is one practical way we are trying to deal with the specific point the noble and gallant Lord raised.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
Can I press the noble Lord on the number of fast jets that are currently in service and are expected to be in service, say, over the next five years, and also on the number of fast jets pilots that we are training? In one constituency alone, the Vale of York, which I had the honour to represent for 13 years, we had at that time RAF Linton-on-Ouse, RAF Leeming, Dishforth airfield and Topcliffe airfield as well, so I hope he will give me some encouragement that we are going to be on track for a number of fast jets going forward.