Speeches by Twigg.

“You’re being diplomatic.”

“As someone who lost his wife to cancer, I know the dire circumstances that a cancer diagnosis can bring. It is right that cancer plans should focus on the best outcomes: improving the amount of time that people live for, or having a cure. I would like to raise with the Minister the specific issue of pain relief managem…”

“I just wanted to explore in a bit more detail the EU role in European defence and whether that has changed since the invasion of Ukraine. I am going to say just a couple of things first. I remember, even going back to when I was a Defence Minister in the previous Labour Government, that, every now and again, it would a…”

“It is interesting that Members on the Opposition Front Bench seem to have forgotten that when they left office, they left us with the smallest Army since Napoleonic times, a lack of ships and aeroplanes, some of the poorest equipment and many problems with procurement. It is important that we keep to the timetable on t…”

“I know, but I am just asking.”

“Has the nature of that changed in recent years, and is there anything that specifically gives you cause for concern?”

“Can you give specific examples of the nature of the threats?”

“You probably will not be surprised by this question. What is the nature of the hybrid threats to the UK and its allies and partners?”

“You are right that we do not want to publish what our line is, because that would obviously give it away, but as you said, there has to be ministerial write-off or higher input. We seem not to be getting to grips with this as quickly as we should be in terms of what we are prepared to do.”

“I know, but I am just asking.”

“You referred to drawing the line. Do you feel that we are really being too slow in deciding where that line should be drawn and being too nice, given the threats that we face from some pretty difficult and ruthless actors?”

“You are right that we do not want to publish what our line is, because that would obviously give it away, but as you said, there has to be ministerial write-off or higher input. We seem not to be getting to grips with this as quickly as we should be in terms of what we are prepared to do.”

“Has the nature of that changed in recent years, and is there anything that specifically gives you cause for concern?”

“Can you give specific examples of the nature of the threats?”

“You probably will not be surprised by this question. What is the nature of the hybrid threats to the UK and its allies and partners?”

“You referred to drawing the line. Do you feel that we are really being too slow in deciding where that line should be drawn and being too nice, given the threats that we face from some pretty difficult and ruthless actors?”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on an excellent statement. He will know that the Committee, of which I was part in the previous Parliament, was able to visit Japan and Italy, where we saw for ourselves the tremendous enthusiasm for the project and how they wanted to work very closely with us. At the end of the statement,…”

“But you cannot tell us what they are.”

“Are you monitoring progress on the previous recommendations and whether the deadlines that were set out in the Government’s response have been met?”

“What about the case management system?”