We protect the security, independence and interests of our country at home and abroad. We work with our allies and partners whenever possible. Our aim is to ensure that the armed forces have the training, equipment and support necessary for their work, and that we keep within budget.
Ben Wallace
Secretary of State for Defence
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 07 | Oral Questions | Oral Answers to Questions |
| Nov. 10 | Urgent Questions | Armed Forces: Covid-19 Deployment |
| Jan. 12 | Written Statements | No-cost Supply to Lebanese Armed Forces |
| Dec. 16 | Westminster Hall | Defence Manufacturing and Procurement: Shropshire |
| Oct. 15 | Adjournment Debate | Ministry of Defence Tenants: Evictions |
A Bill to Make provision about legal proceedings and consideration of derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights in connection with operations of the armed forces outside the British Islands.
A Bill to continue the Armed Forces Act 2006; to amend that Act and other enactments relating to the armed forces; to make provision about service in the reserve forces; to make provision about pardons for certain abolished service offences; to make provision about war pensions; and for connected purposes.
| Dates | Department | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
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Laid 18 Jan 2021 In Force Not stated |
Ministry of Defence |
Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2021 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Draft affirmative procedure |
| Section 382 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) provides that the 2006 Act will expire at the end of one year beginning with the day on which the Armed Forces Act 2016 was passed (which was on 12th May 2016) unless continued in force by Order in Council in accordance with that section. Such Orders in Council may provide for the continuation of the 2006 Act for a period of not more than one year at a time. But such Orders in Council may not provide for the continuation of the 2006 Act beyond the end of the year 2021. The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/569), the Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/519), the Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/561) and the Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/396) each provided for the continuation of the 2006 Act for a period of 12 months. The 2006 Act was therefore due to expire at the end of 11th May 2021. This Order provides for the further continuation of the 2006 Act until the end of 2021. | |||
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Laid 17 Dec 2020 In Force 7 Jan 2021 |
Ministry of Defence |
Maritime Enforcement Powers (Specification of the Royal Navy Police) Regulations 2020 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Made negative procedure |
| These Regulations provide that members of the Royal Navy Police are persons of a specified description, and are therefore law enforcement officers, for the purposes of section 84(3)(g) of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c.3). This enables Royal Navy Police to exercise the maritime enforcement powers given to law enforcement officers in Chapter 5 of Part 4 of that Act. | |||
Ministry of Defence Select Committee Home Page
Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries, and the Select Committee will occasionally publish formal reports of their findings.
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28 | Defence Secretary visits Kenya and Somalia to discuss Al Shabaab | News and Communications |
| Jan. 27 | £230 million contract to bolster Royal Navy torpedoes | News and Communications |
| Jan. 26 | New legislation to help ensure fair treatment for armed forces | News and Communications |
Written Questions are submitted by Members of Parliament and the House of Lords to receive information or updates from a Department.
Departments are required to respond in a timely fashion and provide a response or requested information. Written Questions can compel detailed and specific information to be produced, and are frequently used as the source of news stories about the work of a Department.
| Date | Title | Questioner |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jan 2021, 5:11 p.m. | Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon) | Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon) |
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Question to the Ministry of Defence: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the size of the fleet of (a) Texan T1 and (b) Tucano was in each RAF training ground in each year since 2017. Answered by Jeremy Quin - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) The Tucano fleet was headquartered at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and was withdrawn from Service in October 2019. The Texan fleet is headquartered at RAF Valley. The attached table is extracted from the National Statistic - UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2020. |
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