Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - 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 (HL4866), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, whether the UK has the necessary (1) facilities, and (2) workforce, to increase the number of Challenger tank if required; and where they would be built.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land are the prime contractor for the currently agreed Challenger 3 upgrades and assembly will be completed in their Telford site.
In line with the Defence Secretary's statement on 16 January 2023, the number of Challenger 3 remains under review to ensure the Army's Main Battle Tank fleet is sufficient to meet Defence's needs.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect HMS Prince of Wales to return to active service; and who will bear the costs of the necessary repairs.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
HMS PRINCE OF WALES is expected to commence her operational programme, as planned, in Autumn 2023. However, an issue has also been identified with her port shaft and to prevent a similar defect occurring, rectification of this issue is expected to be completed prior to her planned departure.
The defects with HMS PRINCE OF WALES shafts are not believed to be a Class issue and HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH continues to undertake Strike Carrier duties until 2024 when HMS PRINCE OF WALES will take over as Very High Readiness Strike Carrier.
The cost of repairs and responsibility for payment has not yet been established and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK has the necessary (1) facilities, and (2) workforce, to increase the number of Challenger tank if required.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
In line with the Army’s Future Soldier plan, the Army will be structured to deliver two Armoured Regiments based on the Challenger tank. Workforce, infrastructure, and equipment planning will support this structure as well as delivering the upgrades from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3.
In reviewing the number of Challenger 3 conversions, the Army will also need to consider the implications of such a review on the decisions and capability priorities made in Future Soldier.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the scale of military accommodation held in reserve for possible reservists or a requirement for mobilisation; and what assessment they have made as to whether a part of this accommodation could be used to house migrants and asylum seekers on a temporary basis.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Ministry of Defence does not routinely hold accommodation vacant to utilise in the mobilisation of reserves. Under HMT guidelines the Ministry of Defence is obligated to dispose of surplus estates, an obligation we are fulfilling through the Defence Estates Optimisation portfolio and other estate rationalisation programmes.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the effect of increases in energy costs on the defence budget; and what effect they anticipate such increases will have on defence procurement programmes.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
High energy costs, which drive inflation, will reduce the Ministry of Defence's spending power over the Spending Review period and beyond. However, due to its volatility, a precise estimate of the impact of inflation is challenging. Our existing controls will substantially limit exposure and we keep our programmes under constant financial review, using our contingency to manage risks if they materialise.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported staff shortages at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down; what steps they are taking to recruit to the 300 more staff requested by the interim chief executive; and what percentage increase in staffing that figure would represent.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is investing £6.6 billion in research and development over the next four years, and this includes an additional £1.1 billion specifically for science and technology and pull through activities. It's part of the government's announcement 'to sustain strategic advantage through S&T' in the recent Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
Dstl is using a number of routes to attract diverse talent with apprenticeships, bespoke targeted advertising, schemes for mid-career returners to science, and a focused offer to graduates. Dstl will be seeking to attract niche skills and scarce talents through a network of 'Centres of Excellence', the first being in Newcastle.
Dstl's Full Time Equivalent number of people is 4,357. An additional 300 represents an increase of 6.9 per cent.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the national availability of warehouse space; what steps they are taking in response; and what assessment the Ministry of Defence has made of the potential for private sector involvement in the utilisation of suitable surplus or underutilised sites and buildings.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Government Property Agency is working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to analyse existing storage requirements within the Civil Estate in order to ensure that the future warehousing and depot strategy provides value for money.
The MOD has commissioned a project to evaluate warehousing and storage capacity across the UK, which aims to deliver an initial capability report by spring 2022. There is currently no spare warehousing capacity to offer to the private sector.