Speeches by Healey.

“First, we will set a new benchmark and that will be shared with the Committee. To be fair to us, Mr Chairman, when the Committee has asked for briefings in private and with a degree of confidentiality, we have always tried to respond.”

“I am still failing to understand your question. Chair, perhaps if you need to, you can write to me on this.”

“You will understand that there is a contract process under way and that has not been completed yet. I am deeply aware of just how important the skills of the workforce are and the potential that they have to play a part in the transformation that we need to see, in the technology we develop, the manufacturing we produc…”

“Luke Pollard, Minister for DRI, updated the House quite properly last week. I am furious that vital information was withheld.”

“It is clear we did not have the full facts in the lead-up to decisions about the initial operating capability. That IOC has been withdrawn. The Army is no longer in charge of this programme. A new senior responsible officer, SRO, is now in place. I have been clear that we must back it or scrap it. The work is being don…”

“There is an understanding and that understanding is growing. The recognition of its importance is underlined by this advisory group we set up and by the fact that the Chancellor and I are working very closely on this and have been over the last 18 months. We work with the CBI specialist group and a task force that repo…”

“Three points. First, buy British is clearly a shorthand. What it signifies is a termination and a first focus on the role that defence can play as an engine for growth, creating new jobs and opportunities, skills, and backing good British-based businesses and innovators for the future. Second, it is not always possible…”

“It is partly a recognition in the investor community—the banks—of the discussions we have just been having in the last half an hour; that actually there is a national and an allied challenge with defence and security that is not just a matter for the armed forces and defence. We are moving away from a period where inve…”

“I absolutely applaud the work that you personally are doing on this territory; the way that you are championing fresh ideas like the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank. One thing that I know you will have noted—Mr Chairman, you will see the results before too long—is we set up a defence finance investment group, som…”

“That is a really big risk if we do not do our procurement better and in different ways and if we do not leverage the investments that I believe are potentially there, including foreign direct investment into the defence industry in this country, which hit record levels last year at £1.4 billion. These are all big oppor…”

“That is Government work in progress.”

“I did not, no.”

“I am sorry, Mr Bailey, I am just not following what you are saying.”

“First, you encouraged me to read their evidence. But part of my mission as Defence Secretary—before the election, at the election and since—has been to draw attention to the threats we face, to argue that this is a new era for defence and that steps need to be taken. The Government have demonstrated a seriousness for t…”

“The SDR is a vision with a set of 62 recommendations, all of which we have accepted. It is a vision for transforming defence over a decade. Centre to it is the imperative to raise the levels of warfighting readiness in this country in order to better deter the increasing threats we face and to work more closely with th…”

“I am sorry, that is exactly what the Foreign Secretary did when we made the decision that next year we would switch 0.2% of GDP out of direct overseas aid into defence. That was a decision that the Government took: very clearly a down arrow in a different path. If you look at the decisions that the Chancellor made in h…”

“I will call out the Putin threats to us when I think those are needed. It is part of priming the national conversation that we have discussed before. It is part of treating the public properly, making sure that they are aware of some threats that we face. Should we do more in disclosing to Parliament and trying to ensu…”

“I take that point and I am glad you see it had that impact, Mr Roome. I thought it was an important signal to Putin as well as information that the public deserved. And the answer is yes, we should do that and I will do that when it is important to call it out. I will do that because I want the public to be as well-inf…”

“Yes, I am able to implement my priorities. I have a lot of confidence in the leadership we now have in place in defence. No, I am not being prevented from doing that and I am not sure that I recognise the description of some deeply resistant, hostile, deep state. That is working against the interests of democratically …”

“Their awareness is good. The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I provide briefings and have discussions with the Cabinet to help ensure that. Their acceptance that we must do more is very strong. I have to say, having served in Cabinet and shadow Cabinets before, the unity of purpose of this Cabinet is second t…”