Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Oliver Ryan Excerpts
Monday 6th January 2025

(3 days, 2 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Luke Pollard Portrait Luke Pollard
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The hon. Lady is right to raise the capability gaps that this Government inherited from the Government she served in. The strategic defence review is looking at those capability gaps and at what is needed to protect ourselves and our allies in the future. When that is set out later in the spring, she will be able to see how we plan to address those gaps, ensuring that we support British industry while also addressing the security challenges that we and our allies face.

Oliver Ryan Portrait Oliver Ryan (Burnley) (Lab/Co-op)
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As a great supporter of the British-American alliance, I am disappointed to have to ask this question, but, given some of the recent tweets from people associated with the incoming US Administration, what assessment has the Secretary of State made of the UK’s exposure of our defence capabilities, given that there may be some changes in the White House?

John Healey Portrait John Healey
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The US is the closest ally of this country, and this country is the closest security ally of the US. That has been for case the decades—it has withstood the ups and downs of the political cycle on both sides of the Atlantic—and we as a Government will work closely with the incoming US Administration.