Speeches by Pollard.

“Chair, I can answer your question about withdrawing from the F-35 programme. It is possible for any nation to withdraw from the F-35 programme, but when a nation withdraws from the F-35 programme, they are unable to use any of their F-35s again. That means that our carriers would no longer be used, our F-35Bs in the RA…”

“The F-35 system is a global system. It does not operate different systems for different nations—it is a single global system, in which circumstances, any changes to how the F-35 procurement system on a global basis works requires consensus, and we do not believe that we can achieve consensus.”

“I am happy to come back to the Committee, but it would be the same as the evidence presented in the Secretary of State’s letter—”

“It would not be appropriate for me to reveal confidential conversations between the partner nations. The gisting of the element that was redacted was correct. It remains our assessment that we would be unable to achieve consensus on alterations to the way that the global F-35 programme works.”

“That goes for every F-35 on the planet, which also then has a subsequent risk for peace and security. For instance, it was an F-35 from the Netherlands that shot down one of the Russian drones over Poland, so that is an immediate use of F-35s around the world in supporting our national security requirements and those o…”

“What I would say in response to that is that we continue to have conversations with the partner nations—the original eight—in relation to this. Our assessment remains that there is not the possibility of consensus there. So I understand where you are coming from, but it is not our assessment that that is possible. It i…”

“It is worth understanding how the Joint Strike Fighter—originally the F-35—programme works on a global basis. Of the eight original partner nations, of which the UK is one and the US another, agreements on how the F-35 global support system operates have to be taken by consensus, which means that all nations in that or…”

“Use of that would be a matter for the FCDO to assess. Routinely, the Ministry of Defence would not assess the operational use of military assets by partner nations, but the particular use and test of that would be an FCDO-led question.”

“They are seeking to do that, yes.”

“I would need to check the total number, and I can come back to the Committee, if appropriate, to release that information. As standard practice, we do not often reveal the flights or the frequency of flights. As these are unarmed aircraft, many of them will squawk and can be picked up on open source. Even though the MO…”

“The RAF surveillance flights from RAF Akrotiri are solely for hostage rescue. They are designed to seek to identify the hostages that are being held, and then for a test to be applied to the information, if they are able to locate any, that says we will transfer that information only when we believe that the informatio…”

“I think the Opposition have got their attack line sorted, but not the reasons why they started the negotiations.”

“We are securing one of the most valuable military bases on the planet. We are securing our close intelligence relationship with the United States. We are securing a vital base for operations in the region. We are securing a vital base for allies. That is the key British objective. It was the objective stated by the pre…”

“I am going to finish my remarks on Chagossians, if I may. I hope that all Members of the House will recognise that the treaty is not just about the importance of the military base on Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia and the wider Chagos archipelago have a unique environment. I hope that protecting the world’s oceans is a poi…”

“I understand the argument that the right hon. Gentleman is trying to make, but I hope that he appreciates my argument that the calculation is based on the OBR’s inflation and deflation figures and on the social time preference rate. It is a figure that has been calculated and supported by the OBR, and it stands up to s…”

“For the last time, and then I need to conclude my remarks.”

“The Minister of State has met a full range of groups, including the group mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman.”

“That is precisely why my FCDO colleagues are working very closely with Mauritius to ensure that the money that is included in the treaty, and the obligations that both the UK and Mauritius sign up to in the treaty, are fully delivered so that the Chagossians receive what this treaty says they should receive. That is a …”

“To return to the issue of Chagossians, on which I am trying to make progress, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth and FCDO officials have met with the Chagossian communities. Under the treaty, Mauritius will now be free to carry out a programme of resettlement of the outer islands, and we have agree…”

“The hon. Gentleman’s intervention is not about Chagossians, but I realise I could not take his intervention earlier. He asks about the meaning of the social time preference rate in relation to the deal. Discounting in appraisal of social value is based on the concept of time preference, and that the value of goods or s…”