WESTMINSTER RADAR
Search
My MPs
Menu

Alex Baker MP: speeches

53 published records · newest first.

Speeches

  • 3 Jul 2025 · NHS 10-Year Plan · Hansard source
    More

    I warmly welcome the Government’s 10-year plan. It is a proud day to sit on these Benches. I also welcome the Government’s commitment to rebuilding Frimley Park hospital in my community in wave 1 of the new hospitals programme. The brilliant staff there, who are currently working in a hospital riddled with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, deserve that more than anyone. Can the Secretary of State help me out by bringing to life what healthcare will look like for people in my community of Aldershot, Farnborough, Blackwater, Hawley and Yateley over the next decade as a result of this plan?

  • 30 Jun 2025 · Defence Spending: Cross-party Talks · Hansard source
    More

    I, too, welcome the commitment to get to 5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035. It is imperative that the increase in defence spending means that funding is getting to those on the cutting edge of defence innovation. Cody technology park in Farnborough is already home to world-class defence innovation, with a wide range of small and medium-sized enterprises working there, alongside QinetiQ, and it is where DragonFire has just been developed. What role does the Minister see for existing places such as Cody, in delivering our defence industrial strategy? Will she meet me to discuss whether Cody could be the home for the new defence SME hub?

  • 24 Jun 2025 · National Security Strategy · Hansard source
    More

    I welcome this national security strategy. Defence begins at home, and my community plays a role in the UK’s security and resilience with the HQ of Standing Joint Command in Aldershot. We need to focus as much on national resilience as on conventional military threats, so will my right hon. Friend share the work he has been doing on the national resilience strategy? How does it fit with the national security strategy that is in front of us today?

  • 23 Jun 2025 · UK Modern Industrial Strategy · Hansard source
    More

    I congratulate the Secretary of State on the ambition of this industrial strategy and invite him to visit Cody technology park in Farnborough, which is home to world-class defence and aerospace innovation, from QinetiQ’s development of DragonFire to one of only two commercial wind tunnels in the world. What role does he see for places such as Cody, which are already contributing but have the potential to do even more to help to create jobs and fire up our industrial base?

  • 23 Jun 2025 · UK Military Base Protection · Hansard source
    More

    I pay tribute to Standing Joint Command, based in Aldershot, for its contribution to UK resilience. In Armed Forces Week, I also pay tribute to the more than 3,000 serving personnel in my constituency, the home of the British Army. The Minister has been really clear about what force protection looks like when it comes to bases, but what will it look like for garrison towns like mine?

  • 11 Jun 2025 · Spending Review 2025 · Hansard source
    More

    I congratulate the Chancellor on the spending review, and welcome her commitment both to defence spending and to our being a defence industrial superpower, which is vital to my community in Aldershot and Farnborough. This week, my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters) and I published a report entitled “Rewiring British Defence Financing”, which supports the Chancellor’s work to fire up our defence industrial base. As part of that, will she support my campaign for a UK-led multilateral defence security and resilience bank to finance our national resilience, support our allies, and keep our country safe?

  • 3 Jun 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
    More

    T7. The backlog of Crown court cases in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight reached an eight-year high last year, which has had a huge impact on victims and defendants in Aldershot and Farnborough who are struggling to get on with their lives. What steps is the Minister taking to reduce delays in local justice for my constituents?

  • 2 Jun 2025 · Strategic Defence Review · Hansard source
    More

    It is a proud day for us in the home of the British Army: Labour is investing more in defence—and more than we saw in 14 years of Tory Governments. It is clear that we need more innovative financing solutions to support the new defence technologies mentioned in the SDR, such as the technologies being developed at Cody business park in Farnborough, which I visited this morning. Will the Secretary of State support my campaign for a multilateral defence, security and resilience bank to help power more investment, jobs and opportunities in Aldershot, Farnborough and right across the country?

  • 6 May 2025 · Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan: 80th Anniversary · Hansard source
    More

    I am proud to speak in this debate on behalf of the home of the British Army. In Aldershot and Farnborough, VE Day and VJ Day are woven into the very fabric of our community. My words today have been shaped by constituents who have shared with me their memories and specialist knowledge, including Iris Munro, who told me her story as a 16-year-old celebrating VE Day in her home town of Aldershot, and Paul H. Vickers, a military historian who lives in Aldershot and who was a Ministry of Defence librarian for 40 years. I thank them for their help as I try to do the stories from our towns justice. Aldershot stood at the very centre of the war effort. It was from its barracks and training grounds that thousands of brave men and women were prepared for service across Europe, north Africa and beyond. It was there that troops were forged, not just in skill but in spirit, and it was there that wounded soldiers found safety and solace in the Cambridge and Connaught hospitals. My constituent Iris Munro, now 96, was the youngest of nine children, and every one of her family played a role—her four brothers fighting across the globe in the European and far eastern theatres, and her father, mother and sisters active on the home front. She vividly remembers the terror of sleeping under the stairs as Aldershot was bombed, and how Lord Haw-Haw singled out the town as he tried to demoralise the population. She also recalls the town’s defiance and spirit of resistance, as she sang “There’ll always be an England” to entertain her neighbours when they sought cover in the dirt-floored underground shelters as the air raid warning sirens wailed overhead. Aldershot gave the allied campaign strength in its most literal sense, playing a vital role in the preparation for the D-day landings and serving as a hub for Canadian troops, more than 320,000 of whom passed through its gates during the war. Farnborough was the beating heart of Britain’s aeronautical innovation. The Royal Aircraft Establishment based there became a crucible of scientific brilliance. It was in Farnborough that engineers and researchers developed the technologies that gave our pilots superiority in the skies, including radar, advanced aircraft design, and aerodynamics. It was a battle fought not with rifles but with calculations and courage, and it helped tilt the balance in the air towards the allies. Farnborough proved that war could be won not only with force but innovation. On 8 May, when news of Germany’s surrender reached Aldershot, the town was united in joyful celebration. Fairy lights were hung in a “V for victory” formation on the fronts of homes. A pipe band from a Canadian unit led a spontaneous parade, with hundreds linking arms and singing. Iris remembers singing with friends from her youth club, right at the front of the parade, with her mum proudly waving from the sidelines. In Farnborough, a grand dance took place at the Royal Aircraft Establishment assembly hall. The music did not stop until 3 o’clock in the morning. It was not just a celebration—it was release. A lifetime’s worth of tension and fear was finally let go in laughter, in dance and in community. Among those joyful scenes, we also have to remember the personal stories. I was honoured to meet Norman “Norrie” Bartlett on Remembrance Day in Yateley last year. He sadly passed away this March. He joined the Navy in 1942, under age at just 16, and suffered the extreme cold and danger of both the Arctic and the Atlantic. I am pleased to say that he was well enough, having seen both D-day landings and the Japanese surrender, to make it to Normandy for the 80th anniversary—

  • 24 Apr 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
    More

    Aldershot Town football club are going to Wembley. The FA trophy final on 11 May will be the first time in the club’s history that the red and blue army have played under the arch, with over 17,000 fans there to spectate. That club is also the first football club in the country to achieve the armed forces covenant gold status award for the work it does in our community. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating everybody at the club on reaching this prestigious final, and for giving all of us in Aldershot something to cheer about?

  • 8 Apr 2025 · Armed Forces Covenant · Hansard source
    More

    I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for representing the Defence Committee. Labour’s commitment to fully enshrine the armed forces covenant in law is a vital step in recognising the sacrifices made by our service members and their families. However, our report examines some significant gaps in coverage. In particular, I highlight the treatment of non-UK personnel and their families. Unlike other routes, the immigration status given to serving and recently discharged personnel does not allow them to work or access social security. Will my hon. Friend join me in urging the Ministry of Defence to resolve this issue with the Home Office well in advance of the covenant’s expansion?

  • 26 Mar 2025 · Spring Statement · Hansard source
    More

    As we secure Britain’s role in a changing world, I welcome the Chancellor’s focus on defence innovation and I thank her for referencing my community, Aldershot and Farnborough. We are ready to serve. When it comes to defence innovation, too many small and medium defence businesses in my community struggle to get access to the banking and finance facilities they need, often on the basis of self-imposed environmental, social and governance criteria. Will the Chancellor join me in welcoming the investors and financial institutions that have responded to the campaign that I am leading with my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters), calling on our banks and our fund managers to broaden their approach so that we can defend our country, support Ukraine and fire up our industrial base?

  • 25 Mar 2025 · Access to NHS Dental Services · Hansard source
    More

    12. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services.

  • 25 Mar 2025 · Access to NHS Dental Services · Hansard source
    More

    Aldershot and Farnborough are dental deserts. My constituent Nick had an infected wisdom tooth and was in agony. He had been registered with a practice in Farnborough, but it kicked him off its patient list. He obtained an emergency appointment through 111, but two weeks later the infection was back. He was left with little choice but to go private, which cost him £700—10 times what the treatment would have cost on the NHS. Can the Minister explain how Labour’s plan for change will help to prevent such cases from being repeated as we end the 14 years of dentistry failure that we saw under the Conservatives?

  • 13 Mar 2025 · Victory in Europe and Japan: 80th Anniversaries · Hansard source
    More

    The people of Aldershot and Farnborough have contributed in every major conflict for over 100 years, including the second world war. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the contribution of my community in that conflict? Will she also join me in congratulating Councillor Sophie Porter, deputy leader of our council, and Councillor Nadia Martin, our armed forces champion, who are part of our community’s plans to deliver a new beacon in Manor Park in Aldershot, which will be lit for the first time on 8 May? How can people from my community get involved in the national plans?

  • 13 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source
    More

    This week, Union Yard, a new quarter of Aldershot, has opened, including the Makers’ Yard, a home for local creative businesses. That has been delivered by the previous and current administrations of Rushmoor council. Will the Leader of the House join me in sending best wishes to local residents Jess and Georgina of Kitschy Bits Boutique ahead of their opening in Makers’ Yard on Saturday? May we have a debate on what this Government are doing to support more retail opportunities for local creative businesses as part of our growth mission?

  • 13 Mar 2025 · Small Business Support · Hansard source
    More

    Too many small and medium-sized defence businesses in my community struggle to access the banking and finance facilities they need, often on the basis of self-imposed ethical criteria. Will the Business Secretary join me in welcoming how many investors and financial institutions have responded to the campaign I am leading with my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters) and 100 other Labour parliamentarians, calling on our banks and fund managers to broaden their approach to defence investment? Will he call on investors to take action so that we can defend our country, support Ukraine, and fire up our industrial base?

  • 13 Mar 2025 · Small Business Support · Hansard source
    More

    12. What steps his Department is taking to support small businesses.

  • 25 Feb 2025 · Defence and Security · Hansard source
    More

    I thank the Prime Minister for his statement and for the leadership that he has shown in these uncertain times. As the Member of Parliament for the home of the British Army, I know that this is hugely welcome news for my constituency and that my community is ready to serve. What will the Prime Minister do to help to create jobs in the defence sector in my community?

  • 24 Feb 2025 · Breakfast Clubs: Early Adopters · Hansard source
    More

    I am delighted that four schools in my constituency are taking part in the scheme—The Ferns primary academy and Farnborough Grange nursery/infant community school in Farnborough, and St Joseph’s Catholic primary school in Aldershot. What is my right hon. Friend’s message to parents in my constituency who are eager for their children’s school to join the scheme so that they can benefit from Labour’s plan for change in Aldershot and Farnborough?

  • 14 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
    More

    T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

  • 14 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
    More

    I welcome the progress made by COP29 in Baku, and the Government’s leadership on climate change. Nepal is at the sharp end of dealing with climate change—late last year, there were 200 deaths from floods in Kathmandu. What are the Government doing to support that nation, which has been a partner and a friend to the UK over many years?

  • 8 Jan 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source
    More

    Q3. My constituent Annemarie, like countless other armed forces families across Aldershot and Farnborough, is living in shabby military accommodation which, after 14 years of Conservative neglect, is simply not good enough. I therefore welcome the Ministry of Defence plan to buy back thousands of homes in my constituency. Will the Prime Minister set out how sorting out the bad deal left by the Tory Government will make life better for Annemarie and others like her living at the home of the British Army?

  • 12 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
    More

    My constituents still mourn the loss of our M&S outlet in 2015, but we are delighted that Superbowl UK has just opened in Aldershot. These anchor retail and leisure tenants are so vital for our town centres, so what can the Government do to assist communities such as mine to ensure that we can encourage businesses to be the cornerstone and footfall drivers of our town centres?

  • 12 Dec 2024 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
    More

    T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →