Top Secret Document Leaks Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Top Secret Document Leaks

Richard Foord Excerpts
Tuesday 18th April 2023

(1 year, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

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James Heappey Portrait James Heappey
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As the shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey), set out, there have been occasions when we reside in a glass house on these matters, so I am reluctant to throw stones at any other Department.

Richard Foord Portrait Richard Foord (Tiverton and Honiton) (LD)
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The Minister is right that we must be careful with leaked US documents that may turn out to be misinformation or disinformation, but they do appear to reveal that the UK Rivet Joint aircraft was subject to a near miss. If the Secretary of State had assessed that the Rivet Joint aircraft had been intentionally fired upon, would he have shared that Ministry of Defence assessment with the House?

James Heappey Portrait James Heappey
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The Secretary of State has briefed the House on that incident. I am not going to offer any discussion on the version of events that was put across in the leak.