Oral Answers to Questions

Deidre Brock Excerpts

Wednesday 1st May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jack]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. As the father of a serving soldier, I completely agree with her. I hear from members of the military that they are disappointed with the standard of accommodation. I have raised the issue on a UK-wide basis and discussed it with the Defence Secretary. He said the programme of improvements, which started before last winter, amounts to £400 million of spending.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

Further to the Secretary of State’s comments about nuclear bases, I hope he is aware of the alarming rise in more serious nuclear safety incidents at Scotland’s Trident nuclear bases on the Clyde. My questions have revealed 179 incidents were logged in 2023 and 2024, including six with a risk of radiation leakage to the environment, the first category A incidents in 15 years. Has he concerns if there was a radioactive leak beyond safe levels in many of these incidents? What reports will his Government produce to reassure crew and those living nearby that the nuclear infrastructure is not, as one former Downing Street adviser described it, “dangerously rotting”?

[Mr Jack]

I have visited Faslane, our base on the Clyde. It is an absolutely fantastic facility. We do not comment on matters relating to Faslane. If the hon. Lady has any more specific questions, she should ask them at Defence questions, but regarding our nuclear deterrent and our nuclear facility, we do not comment on things that happen there.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

We are levelling up across the United Kingdom and investing in places that need it the most, including, as my hon. Friend rightly highlights, our coastal communities. Almost £1 billion of levelling-up funding has been allocated to the east of England, including £75 million for coastal places. I know that he welcomes the town deal for Lowestoft in particular. I will ensure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss how we can further support his region with its role in our energy security, and, in particular, its coastal communities.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

Q7. Greenpeace Unearthed found 36 supposed grassroots campaign groups that were actually administered by Conservative staff and activists and which were forums for vile racism, antisemitism and Islamophobic attacks on Sadiq Khan. While the Prime Minister is above such co-ordinated efforts against 20 mph zones in Wales, will he shed some light on these shady groups spreading abuse, including on their funding and their links to his party, and whether he is aware of similar operations existing elsewhere in the UK? If he will not, will he at least commit today to investigating and taking action to tackle the sources of this grubby gutter politics?

[The Prime Minister]

I am not aware of the topic that the hon. Lady raises, but I am not going to make any apology for Conservatives pointing out the record of the SNP in Scotland or the Labour Government in Wales, because that is exactly what the democratic process is about. She might not like it when we highlight their record, but we will keep doing that so that we can deliver for people across the United Kingdom.