Oral Answers to Questions

Graham Leadbitter Excerpts
Monday 30th June 2025

(1 day, 14 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Al Carns Portrait Al Carns
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As I have mentioned several times today, the Valour programme will accommodate that. It will not be a service that is a blueprint for everyone, but we will take the geographical differences into account and ensure that it is fit for purpose so that our veterans are given the deal that they deserve.

Graham Leadbitter Portrait Graham Leadbitter (Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey) (SNP)
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The strategic defence review, published this month, clearly states:

“The foundation of the UK’s approach to deterrence remains a minimum, credible, independent UK nuclear deterrent, assigned to the defence of NATO… The UK’s nuclear weapons are operationally independent.”

Somehow, in the last 29 days, the UK Government have decided that they no longer see their Trident nuclear missiles as a minimum credible deterrent. Why was that major change in policy not announced in the SDR?

Luke Pollard Portrait Luke Pollard
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The Government have made it very clear that our support for our independent nuclear deterrent is solid and is not changing. We are investing in new submarines, we are investing in the base in Faslane, we are investing in new nuclear reactors in Derby, and we are backing the people who keep our country safe with that guarantor of our security, the nuclear deterrent.