"I am very grateful to the Minister for giving way. I suppose I bring good news: I do not think we have a problem with recruitment. The one thing we do not have is a shortage of people wishing to join the Armed Forces. The problem we have is the …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, I support this continuation order. I start by declaring my interests as a director of the Army Reserve and the chairman of the Reserve Forces review in 2030. I will ask a couple of questions but, in looking forward to next year’s Armed Forces Act, I also want …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, the military aid to civil authorities is the established process by which the military is used at times of national crisis or, indeed, prolonged strikes. The challenge is that it is the same Private Jones who is the stand-in tanker driver, the stand-in passport control officer or the …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, I declare my interest as a member of the Army Board. A recent sobering poll showed that fewer than one in three Britons would be prepared to fight for their country. What specific steps are the Government taking to ensure a whole-society approach to national security?..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, the Prime Minister’s EU reset supposedly opens the door for the United Kingdom to participate in the European Union’s €150 billion defence procurement fund. However, there were reports over the weekend that France is now insisting that any beneficiary of that fund—any project—will have to have 85% EU …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I declare my interest as a member of the Army Board...." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"My Lords, I oppose Amendments 1 and 6. While I have enormous sympathy with their intent, when I heard the noble Baroness say that this would expand the role of the commissioner a little bit, I am afraid I thought it would do anything but. If we consider that there …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech
"It does, apart from the clarification of what defines a veteran, on the basis that when a regular member of the Armed Forces leaves, they still have a reserve liability. We like to call them veterans, but they become part of the regular reserve and, subsequently, the recall reserve, so …..." Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton - View Speech