Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to defuse Second World War military devices in the Irish Sea; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Ministry of Defence (MOD) assessment of historic sea dumped munitions in the British Isles has been placed in the public domain and may be accessed via the following link:
The MOD (in conjunction with the Department for Transport) continues to operate a programme which routinely surveys the UK's busiest waters to ensure both port security and safety from historic ordnance. These surveys focus on the main channels used by commercial shipping, both within the ports and on approach routes including, in the case of the Clyde, the channels used by our vessels.
Throughout the UK, any ordnance discovered ashore or at sea is a police or coastguard matter but is automatically referred to the MOD who hold Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units on standby to offer initial safety advice then attend and render safe the ordnance. There are well established maritime procedures to ensure any hazards and associated activities are promulgated to shipping and where necessary exclusion zones established and enforced, ensuring that when ordnance is occasionally discovered, it remains undisturbed until rendered safe by an assigned EOD unit.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the files held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Act 1958 have been (a) assessed by and (b) released to the National Archive.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
All Ministry of Defence (MOD) records held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Acts have been assessed for ongoing business or potential historical value. More than one third of the files at Swadlincote have been selected for transfer to The National Archives. These are largely military service records, which The National Archives has identified as being required for permanent preservation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many files held at Swadlincote his Department has made available to the (a) Historical Enquiries Team and (b) Da Silva Review.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Historical Enquiries Team and the De Silva Review were able to access any Ministry of Defence file at Swadlincote or elsewhere which was relevant to their functions, but the Department does not record the number of files which were actually inspected or copied over time by members of these teams.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on declassifying and transferring historical files relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote to the National Archive under the 30-year rule.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) policy for the capture, management and final disposal, including transfer to The National Archives, of the MOD's records is detailed in Joint Service Publication 441-Defence Records Management Policy and Procedures. A copy of JSP 441 has been placed in the Library of the House. JSP 441 can also be found on the Gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-441-defence-records-management-policy-and-procedures--2
All files relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote are assessed by the MOD and The National Archives officials for sensitivity and historic value. Those files deemed worthy of permanent preservation will be selected for transfer to The National Archives.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the Trident missile renewal programme on international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Answered by Michael Fallon
As set out in the 2006 White Paper "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cm 6994) the UK will participate in the US life extension programme for the Trident D5 missile which will extend the life of the missiles until the early 2040s. As a responsible nuclear weapons state and party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), we are committed to trying to achieve a world without nuclear weapons and we recognise our obligations under the NPT. I am entirely satisfied that this life extension programme is fully consistent with our NPT obligations.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 September 2015 on Royal Navy operations, if he will publish all information that the Royal Navy provided which indicated that a UK submarine was responsible for the snagging of the Karen's nets on 15 April 2015.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Detailed analysis of operational records is routine, and this revealed that a UK submarine was involved in the incident with the Fishing Vessel Karen. Once this new information was confirmed, the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) was informed on 6 August 2015.
During August, I held meetings to establish the facts, question the Royal Navy and discuss changes to policy to ensure the safety of fishing vesssels. I then took the earliest opportunity to inform the House and put the public record straight on 7 September 2015.
I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 September 2015 on Royal Navy operations, when the Department was first made aware of the information that indicates that a UK submarine was responsible for snagging the Karen's nets.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Detailed analysis of operational records is routine, and this revealed that a UK submarine was involved in the incident with the Fishing Vessel Karen. Once this new information was confirmed, the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) was informed on 6 August 2015.
During August, I held meetings to establish the facts, question the Royal Navy and discuss changes to policy to ensure the safety of fishing vesssels. I then took the earliest opportunity to inform the House and put the public record straight on 7 September 2015.
I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.