Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Oral Answers to Questions

Keith Simpson Excerpts
Thursday 4th June 2015

(9 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Diana Johnson.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am sorry; I am getting ahead of myself. Let us hear from Mr Simpson—not that he was present on the occasion.

Keith Simpson Portrait Mr Simpson
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Alas, Mr Speaker, I was not, but my hon. Friend the Member for North East Somerset (Mr Rees-Mogg) was. I congratulate the Minister on her appointment. What will we do to celebrate the two thirds of the Duke of Wellington’s army that were, in fact, not British? Some 36% of His Grace’s army were British, of whom about one third were Scots and Welsh—the Scots were fighting for the Union—but 45% were Germans; not Prussians, but Hanoverians and others. I think that we should give credit to what, ultimately, was the first NATO army.

Tracey Crouch Portrait Tracey Crouch
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My hon. Friend is a great military historian, and I often listen carefully to what he says about these battles. As he knows, the battle obviously took place with a coalition. Events are being planned across Europe, and we are working with various Governments across the whole European Union. A number of events are taking place in Scotland, including regimental exhibitions at the National Army Museum in Edinburgh.