"I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of a report into the condition of the reserves and delivery of the FR20 programme, compiled by the Future Reserves 2020 external scrutiny team. This House will know that the Defence Reform Act 2014 includes a statutory obligation …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"The decision on replacement aircraft for the Red Arrows does not have to be made until 2018, but my hon. Friend will have heard the Prime Minister say that, so long as he is Prime Minister, the Red Arrows will continue to fly...." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"What I can say to the hon. Gentleman is that my Department has an excellent relationship with the DWP, looking at ways in which we can support those who are out of work and seeking to acquire the skills, soft and hard, necessary to get back into work, to get …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"Whether to bring the second carrier into service is a decision for the SDSR in 2015, as we have always been clear. Equally, I have always been clear that my personal view is that when one spends £6.4 billion of taxpayers’ money building two ships, one had better strain every …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"It is for NATO as an organisation to set the agenda for the summit, not the UK; we merely host it and pick up the bill for doing so. We have been in the lead in seeking to agree across the member states a statement about the future financing of …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"The programme for Type 26 envisaged 13 frigates being ordered. It is likely that the fleet will be split, as the current frigate fleet is split, but no final decision has yet been made...." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"I was aware of the role our hon. Friend’s father played in that decisive engagement, and I am sure that the whole House will join the sentiment expressed in the EDM. It is one of a number of EDMs that Government Front Benchers regularly regret being unable, by convention, to …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"There are significant differences between Iraq and Afghanistan. Subject to the conclusion of a status of forces agreement with NATO, the alliance plans to continue to support the Afghan security forces and the Security Ministries as part of the Resolute Support mission. NATO countries reaffirmed the Chicago summit commitments of …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"It is important to note that the failure of the Iraqi security forces was a failure of political coherence, not a failure in combat. Where they engaged in combat, they performed adequately. It was where they failed to engage at all that the problem arose. We expect to have far …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech
"I think I said to the hon. Gentleman the other day that there has been combat in that area of northern Helmand and that the Taliban did take some ground from the Afghan national security forces. However, the ANSF rapidly regrouped, and almost without any support from the international security …..." Lord Hammond of Runnymede - View Speech