To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled RAF aircraft dangerously intercepted by Russian jets over Black Sea, published on 20 May 2026, what recent discussions he has had with NATO allies regarding collective responses to unsafe interceptions by Russian military aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled RAF aircraft dangerously intercepted by Russian jets over Black Sea, published on 20 May 2026, what recent discussions he has had with NATO allies regarding collective responses to unsafe interceptions by Russian military aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled RAF aircraft dangerously intercepted by Russian jets over Black Sea, published on 20 May 2026, how many other instances of dangerous Russian interception of RAF aircraft have occurred in the Black Sea since 2020.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled RAF aircraft dangerously intercepted by Russian jets over Black Sea, published on 20 May 2026, how many other instances of dangerous Russian interception of RAF aircraft have occurred in the Black Sea since 2020.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will discuss with Ukraine their deployment to the Straight of Hormuz with the two former Royal Navy Sandown-class minehunters which were gifted to Ukraine but which been prevented from transiting to the Black Sea owing to the 1936 Montreux Convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will discuss with Ukraine their deployment to the Straight of Hormuz with the two former Royal Navy Sandown-class minehunters which were gifted to Ukraine but which been prevented from transiting to the Black Sea owing to the 1936 Montreux Convention.

NATO has been increasing its military presence along its eastern borders since 2014 and in response to Russian action.

NATO has been increasing its military presence along its eastern borders since 2014 and in response to Russian action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the quantity of Ukrainian grain being transported through the Black Sea.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the quantity of Ukrainian grain being transported through the Black Sea.

Lords motion to take note of the One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ukraine. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ukraine. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I am moving this Motion on behalf of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, chair of the International Agreements Committee, who sadly is unavailable today.

The International Agreements Committee, of which I am a member, took great interest in the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement. We welcome the Government’s...

My Lords, I am moving this Motion on behalf of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, chair of the International Agreements Committee, who sadly is unavailable today.

The International Agreements Committee, of which I am a member, took great interest in the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement. We welcome the Government’s...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fox, on his admirable opening and on the way in which he chaired the International Agreements Committee as a great substitute. I was musing that, had that committee not examined this agreement, no other committee in either House would have done so—neither...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fox, on his admirable opening and on the way in which he chaired the International Agreements Committee as a great substitute. I was musing that, had that committee not examined this agreement, no other committee in either House would have done so—neither...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for his excellent standing in as our chairman when the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, was not around. I pay tribute to both chairmen and colleagues on the committee for their dispassionate and open approach to this agreement. It was...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for his excellent standing in as our chairman when the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, was not around. I pay tribute to both chairmen and colleagues on the committee for their dispassionate and open approach to this agreement. It was...

My Lords, I am disappointed that the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, has scratched because he is a valuable member of our committee and always has plenty to say on this subject. However, he has chosen to do that and the Floor is therefore mine. I thank the noble Lord, Lord...

My Lords, I am disappointed that the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, has scratched because he is a valuable member of our committee and always has plenty to say on this subject. However, he has chosen to do that and the Floor is therefore mine. I thank the noble Lord, Lord...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow my good friend, the noble Lord, Lord Marland, and have this opportunity to make a small and relatively brief contribution to this debate. I do not have anything to add to the International Agreements Committee’s excellent observations on the agreement itself. I agree...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow my good friend, the noble Lord, Lord Marland, and have this opportunity to make a small and relatively brief contribution to this debate. I do not have anything to add to the International Agreements Committee’s excellent observations on the agreement itself. I agree...

My Lords, I, too, thank the committee for its report and thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for his masterly introduction of it. I cannot live up to the advance billing that I was generously given by the noble Lord, Lord Marland, I am afraid.

I do not intend to say...

My Lords, I, too, thank the committee for its report and thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for his masterly introduction of it. I cannot live up to the advance billing that I was generously given by the noble Lord, Lord Marland, I am afraid.

I do not intend to say...

It was 12.8.

It was 12.8.

It is an investment in both liberty and the values in which we believe. It is also, if you want to look at it transactionally, an investment in a potentially strong economic partner for the United Kingdom.

I strongly agree with the noble Lord, Lord Fox, that the title of this...

It is an investment in both liberty and the values in which we believe. It is also, if you want to look at it transactionally, an investment in a potentially strong economic partner for the United Kingdom.

I strongly agree with the noble Lord, Lord Fox, that the title of this...

My Lords, I add my thanks and congratulations to the committee. I have said previously, when we have debated reports from the International Agreements Committee, that I believe it is the most significant of all the committees of this House. As the noble Lord, Lord Anderson of Swansea, said, no...

My Lords, I add my thanks and congratulations to the committee. I have said previously, when we have debated reports from the International Agreements Committee, that I believe it is the most significant of all the committees of this House. As the noble Lord, Lord Anderson of Swansea, said, no...

My Lords, I too pay tribute to the International Agreements Committee and its work examining this treaty. It is right that it has an impressive amount of detail, probably more detail than the treaty actually requires, but it is nevertheless important work and it was ably introduced by the noble...

My Lords, I too pay tribute to the International Agreements Committee and its work examining this treaty. It is right that it has an impressive amount of detail, probably more detail than the treaty actually requires, but it is nevertheless important work and it was ably introduced by the noble...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for introducing this debate. I pay tribute to his work on the International Agreements Committee, and to the other committee members who have contributed to this afternoon’s debate—my noble friend Lord Anderson, the noble Baroness, Lady Lawlor, and the noble Lord, Lord Marland.

I...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for introducing this debate. I pay tribute to his work on the International Agreements Committee, and to the other committee members who have contributed to this afternoon’s debate—my noble friend Lord Anderson, the noble Baroness, Lady Lawlor, and the noble Lord, Lord Marland.

I...

My Lords, this has been an important and valuable debate. I thank all noble Lords who have spoken and the Minister for his considered response. I will not try to summarise the debate, but I will make a few comments and points on it—perhaps abusing my position here. Noble Lords...

My Lords, this has been an important and valuable debate. I thank all noble Lords who have spoken and the Minister for his considered response. I will not try to summarise the debate, but I will make a few comments and points on it—perhaps abusing my position here. Noble Lords...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK-Ukraine 100-year Partnership Declaration, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the (a) safety of navigation and (b) protection of trade in the Black and Azov Seas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK-Ukraine 100-year Partnership Declaration, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the (a) safety of navigation and (b) protection of trade in the Black and Azov Seas.

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Romania, (b) Moldova, (c) Bulgaria, (d) Ukraine and (e) Türkiye on (i) security and (ii) maritime access in the western Black Sea region.

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Romania, (b) Moldova, (c) Bulgaria, (d) Ukraine and (e) Türkiye on (i) security and (ii) maritime access in the western Black Sea region.