My Lords, as, for various reasons, this is my last speech in your Lordships’ House—the last, I believe, of close on 200 personal contributions over the past 26 years—I hope that noble Lords will be

indulgent over my being given dispensation to deliver most of this speech sitting down because...

My Lords, as, for various reasons, this is my last speech in your Lordships’ House—the last, I believe, of close on 200 personal contributions over the past 26 years—I hope that noble Lords will be

indulgent over my being given dispensation to deliver most of this speech sitting down because...

The report on defence reform by the noble Lord, Lord Levene, is yet another chapter in the steady evolutionary process of the higher organisation of defence going back some 47 years to the Mountbatten reorganisation, in which I had some direct involvement. I even recognise some of the same cries...

The report on defence reform by the noble Lord, Lord Levene, is yet another chapter in the steady evolutionary process of the higher organisation of defence going back some 47 years to the Mountbatten reorganisation, in which I had some direct involvement. I even recognise some of the same cries...

This is my second and last question.

This is my second and last question.

My Lords, one of the most important parts of the strategic defence and security review was the establishment of the National Security Council, chaired at the highest level by the Prime Minister with his own designated staff, whose task it would be to develop and, one hoped, to oversee an...

My Lords, one of the most important parts of the strategic defence and security review was the establishment of the National Security Council, chaired at the highest level by the Prime Minister with his own designated staff, whose task it would be to develop and, one hoped, to oversee an...

My Lords, the inquiry, headed by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Saville, aptly summarised that the events of that January afternoon 38 years ago were indeed a tragedy. They were a tragedy, of course, for the 13 civilians, who in the course of a civil rights march lost their...

My Lords, the inquiry, headed by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Saville, aptly summarised that the events of that January afternoon 38 years ago were indeed a tragedy. They were a tragedy, of course, for the 13 civilians, who in the course of a civil rights march lost their...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Statement on the Government’s Green Paper and for the sensible things she has said about co-operation, partnership and a fully joined-up security policy. I should like to be clear on one thing. Although the Minister may be technically correct...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Statement on the Government’s Green Paper and for the sensible things she has said about co-operation, partnership and a fully joined-up security policy. I should like to be clear on one thing. Although the Minister may be technically correct...

My Lords, having lived for much of my professional life under and, indeed, intellectually fully accepted what I might even describe as the theology of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, with all its political overtones; commanded a division in the field in West Germany at the height of the Cold War, the...

My Lords, having lived for much of my professional life under and, indeed, intellectually fully accepted what I might even describe as the theology of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, with all its political overtones; commanded a division in the field in West Germany at the height of the Cold War, the...

My Lords, since, as is obvious from the nature of the Question, dynamic diplomacy does or should have a vital part to play in all modern military operations, should the FCO budget be considered more in a strategic context and therefore await the outcome of the long overdue defence and...

My Lords, since, as is obvious from the nature of the Question, dynamic diplomacy does or should have a vital part to play in all modern military operations, should the FCO budget be considered more in a strategic context and therefore await the outcome of the long overdue defence and...

My Lords, I appreciate that the Secretary of State has a very difficult, if not impossible, balancing act, but can the Minister confirm that, however much it is dressed up, £1 billion is going to be removed from the defence budget in year 1, when we still have an all-embracing...

My Lords, I appreciate that the Secretary of State has a very difficult, if not impossible, balancing act, but can the Minister confirm that, however much it is dressed up, £1 billion is going to be removed from the defence budget in year 1, when we still have an all-embracing...

My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that, while the crisis in Afghanistan continues—it is a crisis, whichever way you look at it—the Ministry of Defence is having its hands tied behind its back by the significant sums that are being withdrawn from it on the basis of an overspend...

My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that, while the crisis in Afghanistan continues—it is a crisis, whichever way you look at it—the Ministry of Defence is having its hands tied behind its back by the significant sums that are being withdrawn from it on the basis of an overspend...

My Lords, it is gratifying to have the opportunity to speak about strategy and defence in the mainstream of the gracious Speech, rather than—as usual—it being shunted off into a short-notice Friday morning. The subject is of the utmost urgency. Our defence affairs are in a highly sensitive state and...

My Lords, it is gratifying to have the opportunity to speak about strategy and defence in the mainstream of the gracious Speech, rather than—as usual—it being shunted off into a short-notice Friday morning. The subject is of the utmost urgency. Our defence affairs are in a highly sensitive state and...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 19 May (WA 295) on the report of the Congressionally-mandated United States Research Advisory Committee's Inquiry into Gulf War illnesses, whether they have now checked the accuracy of Lord Tunnicliffe's Statement on 27 April...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 19 May (WA 295) on the report of the Congressionally-mandated United States Research Advisory Committee's Inquiry into Gulf War illnesses, whether they have now checked the accuracy of Lord Tunnicliffe's Statement on 27 April...

My Lords, I, too, thank the Minister for repeating the Statement made in another place and I welcome its contents on behalf of all retired Gurkhas who served for longer than four years and who still want to live in this country. It is always good to see to old...

My Lords, I, too, thank the Minister for repeating the Statement made in another place and I welcome its contents on behalf of all retired Gurkhas who served for longer than four years and who still want to live in this country. It is always good to see to old...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 9), whether and on what dates invitations to the symposium held in the House of Lords on 24 March on the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 9), whether and on what dates invitations to the symposium held in the House of Lords on 24 March on the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answers by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, cols 8-10), whether his statement that the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) was then reviewing the findings of the Congressionally-mandated US Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War Illnesses...

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answers by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, cols 8-10), whether his statement that the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) was then reviewing the findings of the Congressionally-mandated US Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War Illnesses...

My Lords, as someone much swept up in the events of 1942 to 1944, latterly at what might be described as the sharp end, perhaps I may make three points. First, however much we may now regret having had to reduce so many German cities to ruins, there is no...

My Lords, as someone much swept up in the events of 1942 to 1944, latterly at what might be described as the sharp end, perhaps I may make three points. First, however much we may now regret having had to reduce so many German cities to ruins, there is no...