Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the replacements for landing platform docks Albion and Bulwark.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Royal Navy are considering the options available for replacing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark as part of the routine business for future maritime capabilities. At this time no specific dates have been set for any replacement of these vessels and their Out of Service dates remain as 2033 and 2034 respectively.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase anti-submarine warfare capacity.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The new ship, submarine and aircraft procurement programme has included the continual review of our anti-submarine warfare capabilities. As part of this process the Royal Air Force expect to receive the first P-8A POSEIDON Maritime Patrol Aircraft towards the end of 2019, with the Type 26 ships, not the Type 31e, providing the primary anti-submarine warfare capability for the Royal Navy.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what anti-submarine warfare capability he plans to include on the Type 31e Frigates.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The new ship, submarine and aircraft procurement programme has included the continual review of our anti-submarine warfare capabilities. As part of this process the Royal Air Force expect to receive the first P-8A POSEIDON Maritime Patrol Aircraft towards the end of 2019, with the Type 26 ships, not the Type 31e, providing the primary anti-submarine warfare capability for the Royal Navy.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to introduce Tomahawk Land Attack Missile capability to the surface fleet.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Type 26 Frigates are being equipped with the Mk41 Strike Length Vertical Launch System which would be compatible with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. A range of candidate solutions are currently being considered in the Concept Phase to fulfil this capability requirement, but in the meantime United Kingdom maritime land attack capability remains ably provided by submarines.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the replacements for landing platform docks Albion and Bulwark.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Royal Navy are considering the options available for replacing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark as part of the routine business for future maritime capabilities. At this time no specific dates have been set for any replacement of these vessels and their Out of Service dates remain as 2033 and 2034 respectively.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the establishment and command structure by rank of the Ministry of Defence Police is; and at what locations they are deployed.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As at 31 August 2018, the complement of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) was 2,800 deployed at 53 locations across the UK and Northern Ireland, the details of which I am withholding on grounds of safeguarding national security. The MDP's senior Command Structure is comprised of the Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable, Senior Civil Service 1star and two Assistant Chief Constables. These officers are located at the force HQ, Wethersfield, Essex.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the manpower establishment by rank and number is of each battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland; and what the manpower shortfall is for each such battalion.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The table below shows the establishment and strength of each battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland:
| Regimental Duty Establishment | Regimental Duty Strength |
1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | 212 | 220 |
2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | 567 | 441 |
3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | 567 | 460 |
4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland are a mechanised infantry Battalion | 637 | 486 |
5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | 99 | 84 |
6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Reserve) | 412 | 304 |
7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Reserve) | 412 | 328 |
Notes/Caveats:
Current strengths have been provided by Defence Statistics, establishment figures are a single source estimate.
Regular figures are for trade trained Army and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from Gurkha Trained Adult Manpower to UK Trained Adult Population.
Reserve figures are for trained FR20 Army only. The FR20 population consists of Group A Army Reserves, some Sponsored Reserves and those personnel serving on FTRS contracts who were previously Army Reservists.
Regimental duty is defined as personnel serving in a regimental unit, for example, in the 1st Battalion.
Establishment and strength data do not include attached personnel from other arms and corps, nor do they include personnel at extra regimental employment in posts away from their parent unit.
Defence does not routinely publish establishment and strength data in further detail as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Order of Battle is of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The units that form the Royal Regiment of Scotland are:
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to deploy military helicopter assets to support the Fire Service in fighting the moorland fires.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Defence provided Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) at the request of the Home Office as the lead Government Department and on behalf of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). From the outset, a range of possible Defence support options were discussed, and as with all major incidents, military liaison officers were engaged at the local level, providing advice and support. Defence provided an RAF Chinook helicopter as part of this support, though GMFRS notified the Ministry of Defence that the planned helicopter support was no longer required before it arrived on scene. Over 100 military personnel from 4th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (The Highlanders), deployed for a period of nine days to assist GMFRS. Home Office and GMFRS no longer have a requirement for Military support.