Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Chadwick and John Healey

Monday 2nd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD)]

22. If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding cross-party talks on reaching 3% defence spending by 2030.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)]

The Government are already making the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war; we plan to hit 2.6% of GDP being spent on defence in April 2027, and 3% in the next Parliament.

[David Chadwick]

Britain faces a once-in-a-generation threat to our national security, as Putin’s war continues in Europe and uncertainty grows about the future reliability of the United States. Will the Secretary of State therefore take up the Liberal Democrats’ proposal that we issue time-limited defence bonds? That would allow the public to invest directly in modernising our armed forces, raise billions for new equipment, and ensure strong parliamentary oversight of how the money is spent.

[John Healey]

I note the arguments that the hon. Gentleman and his party are now making, but it was just in autumn 2024 that the Lib Dems were calling for this Government to set a pathway to 2.5%. We went further than that, with the largest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war, three years before he was calling for it. We have a plan to hit 3% in the next Parliament.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Chadwick and John Healey

Monday 8th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

The hon. Gentleman is right that this is the biggest British warship deal ever, and it is Norway’s biggest ever defence contract. When the Prime Minister of Norway announced the detail, he said, “We asked ourselves two questions: who is our best strategic partner, and who builds the best warships?” The answer to both was Britain. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] I hope—we will work to ensure this—that that leads to other export contracts that will bring jobs and a future to British industry.

[David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)]

2. What steps he is taking to ensure that veterans receive adequate support after leaving the armed forces.