With many still recovering from the last storm over the weekend, another one was on its way. Storm Jocelyn is expected to bring violent wind and rain and the inevitable disruption to the UK's transport services. Into the House by 0815 for the first of two private sessions of our Defence Committee. The MOD had offered a commercial in confidence private briefing to discuss commercial and legal issues in relation to Service Accommodation. We heard from David Brewer, DIO Chief Operating Officer, Phil Riley, DIO Accommodation Director, Ben Leil, DIO Commercial Head, and Maria Leon, Head of Accommodation Estate Lease Strategy. The session lasted an hour. Then we had a fascinating session on the AI sector, with contributors helping the committee to build an understanding of the topic before we look at it in public. The four excellent witnesses were Will Blyth, CEO, Arondite, Alan Brown, Associate Fellow – Expert in neurosymbolic artificial intelligence, RUSI, Allan Nixon, Head of Science and Technology, Onward, and Professor Kenneth Payne, Professor of Strategy, Kings College London (Specialist Adviser to the Sub-Committee). AI is moving ahead at a terrifying pace and I do wonder what it will mean for the human race in the long term. I then had an interesting lunch with a friend and former soldier, who had some worrying points to raise on various military matters. It was an Opposition Day, so we dropped to one line reasonably early. In other news, British and US aid workers were asked to leave Yemen by Houthi authorities in the country, a letter seen by Sky News showed. The Israeli army said 24 of its soldiers were killed in Gaza on Monday - the deadliest day for its forces since their ground operation began.