Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the cost was of developing in-house army training as an alternative to the contract that was secured by Raytheon; and what assessment they have made of the security and resilience considerations of outsourcing army training to a company with US ownership.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
No final decision has yet been made to award the Army Collective Training Service contract to become the Army’s Strategic Training Partner to Raytheon Systems UK. This decision will be made in due course following consideration of the programme’s Full Business Case. As The Full Business Case has not yet been finalised it would be inappropriate to release cost information at this stage.
The Army Collective Training Service contract is not an outsourcing of Army training. Many contractors already support Army training, including Raytheon Systems UK. If awarded, the Army Collective Training Service contract will consolidate many of these existing contracts. The Army, in partnership with the Strategic Training Partner, will transform the support and delivery of collective training while maintaining responsibility for delivery. All tenderers underwent security assessments during prequalification and as part of the tender evaluation, in line with Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether RAF aircraft participated alongside the United States Air Force in strikes targeting ISIS in Syria on 7 or 8 December.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK did not participate in the US strikes targeting Daesh targets in Syria on 7 or 8 December 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evaluation they have made of the use of MIL-PRF-23699 lubricants in Royal Air Force and Royal Navy jet-powered aircraft; and of its potential benefits in reducing hazards for those exposed to engine oil or engine oil decomposition products.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
MIL-PRF-23699 is a specification for jet engine lubricants against which numerous individual products are manufactured by different suppliers. Although no overall assessment has been made of lubricants manufactured to this specification, hazard assessments are made against the specific products used within Royal Air Force and Royal Navy air systems jet engines. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations require Original Equipment Manufacturers to provide Safety Data Sheets for all supplied products, including lubricants, which inform the hazard assessment process. Where residual risks are identified, they are relayed to the air system operator alongside any associated warnings and recommended mitigations.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they invited Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces Herzi Halevi to visit the UK this month, and, if so, for what reason; and which senior UK officials he met.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the concerted UK effort, along with allies and partners, to reach a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, the Chief of the Defence Staff hosted his counterparts from Israel and other international partners on Monday 25 November.
The Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) and the FCDO Director for the Middle East and North Africa both attended the meeting.
The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC, also held his own respective meeting with Lieutenant General Halevi.
Discussions recognised Israel’s right to security, as well as including the UK calls for an immediate ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza, the need for greater humanitarian access into Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the requirement for all parties to comply with international humanitarian law.
We continue to work with international partners to encourage de-escalation and promote long-term peace and security in the Middle East.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 28 October (HL1530), how many incidents of self-harm deemed to be a deliberate intent to inflict damage or alter oneself through self-injury or self-poisoning, and how many incidences of individuals having thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation, have been reported at the Army Foundation College in the past five years; and of those, how many were deemed to be an attempt at suicide.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2024, 103 regular UK Armed Forces personnel at the Army Foundation College Harrogate (AFC(H)) had at least one incident of self-harm recorded. It is not possible to provide the total number of self-harm incidents as the underlying data does not differentiate between new incidents and the on-going treatment of a previous self-harm incident, or the individual’s intention or the severity of the self-harm.
Information is also not centrally compiled about suicidal thoughts or ideation as these are not included in the national guidelines for reporting of self-harm which is defined as an act of self-injury or self-poisoning.
We take all incidents of self-harm extremely seriously and have strong duty of care and safeguarding mechanisms in place to ensure recruits, particularly those who are under 18, have the right support structures. All personnel have access to medical staff and a range of welfare support including Unit Welfare Officers, Padres, the Army Welfare Service and 24-hour confidential helplines. AFC(H) has received praise from both Ofsted and North Yorkshire Safeguarding and Children’s Partnership for its safeguarding ratios and for the welfare and care it provides.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government which UK military training courses Israeli armed forces personnel have completed in the past 12 months, and what was the location of those courses.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This information is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and another State.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many attempted suicides have been recorded at each army initial training establishment in the past five years.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Attempted suicide is not a definition used for the collection of data by the Ministry of Defence. Statistics are collected about self-harm in line with the Office for National Statistics’ definition of a deliberate intent to inflict damage or alter oneself which does not result in death. This includes incidents of self-injury and self-poisoning but excludes those with thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Israeli armed forces personnel are being trained in the UK, which training courses they are undertaking, and at which locations these courses are taking place.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This information is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and another State.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 25 January 2023 (HL4903), what progress they have made towards (1) identifying and marking the graves of Egyptians who died serving the UK during the First World War, including in the Egyptian Labour Corps, and (2) recovering the records of all Egyptians who served with UK forces.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In its work to identify and mark the graves of the Egyptian Labour Corps and Camel Transport Corps, the Commonwealth War Graves Committee (CWGC) has established that more than 327,000 Egyptians served alongside Commonwealth forces across the Middle East, Turkey, and Western Europe. Of those, the CWGC now know that more than 16,500 died in service. Fewer than 400, however, have been commemorated by name, with the remainder commemorated collectively on the CWGC’s Giza Memorial.
The CWGC has determined that during the Second World War, the Ministry of Interior sent thousands of notifications of death to the fallen personnel's next of kin. The CWGC believes these records are likely to be held either by the Egyptian State archives or possibly by one or more departments of the Government of Egypt. Although this is yet to be confirmed, the CWGC have approached the Egyptian authorities and are working to gain access the relevant archives.
The CWGC's wider historical research in archives across Africa and Europe continues to make positive progress in revealing the names of those previously not commemorated, and in mapping potential burial sites. To date, almost 7,000 names have been recovered and the CWGC are actively working to commemorate these individuals in a manner befitting their service and loss.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of maintaining Household Cavalry horses stabled and deployed in central London in the light of the events of 24 April, and public safety and animal welfare concerns arising from the risks of their environment.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The British Army takes the health and wellbeing of its military working horses (MWH) extremely seriously. All of our horses are well looked after, exercised daily and have 24/7 direct access to world-class veterinary care.
Before riding in public, Service personnel undertake training to prove their competence and are fully compliant with the Highway Code when exercising horses on public highways. A progressive programme of activity, including exposure to London traffic, military bands and environmental noise, ensures our horses are properly and safely prepared for their ceremonial role.
The Army has three mounted units in London: the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the Band of the Household Cavalry and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. All undertake State Ceremonial and Public Duties in Central London and Windsor throughout the year.
Steps have already been taken to enhance the environment for our MWHs by creating more loose boxes, which provide greater space and comfort to the horses while stabled. Two to three months per year, the horses are also provided with an alternative environment by being sent out to pasture and the herd often visit Norfolk for two weeks, offering time for daily exercise in the countryside and along local beaches.