Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 December (HL11984), what categories of people can be the principal passenger on RAF Voyager aircraft flights.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The RAF operates a fleet of nine Voyager aircraft. One of these, Voyager ZZ336 has been adapted to operate in the long-range VIP transport role in addition to its primary role of air to air refuelling.
When operating in the VIP transport role, ZZ336 will carry Her Majesty The Queen or the Prime Minister. Additionally, on occasion other senior members of the Royal Family or Cabinet Ministers may travel on ZZ336 on official duties with the approval of either Her Majesty The Queen or the Office of the Prime Minister as appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 December (HL11984), what proportion of RAF Voyager aircraft flights have had as the principal passenger (1) a member of the Royal family, and (2) a current minister.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The RAF operates a fleet of nine Voyager aircraft. One of these, Voyager ZZ336 has been adapted to operate in the long-range VIP transport role in addition to its primary role of air to air refuelling.
When operating in the VIP transport role, ZZ336 will carry Her Majesty The Queen or the Prime Minister. Additionally, on occasion other senior members of the Royal Family or Cabinet Ministers may travel on ZZ336 on official duties with the approval of either Her Majesty The Queen or the Office of the Prime Minister as appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 20 November (HL11338), what percentage of the cost of the use of the RAF Voyager aircraft was spent on transporting former Prime Ministers in (1) 2015–16, (2) 2016–17, and (3) 2017–18.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Costs for the use of the RAF Voyager aircraft are only associated with the principal passenger and any former Prime Minister would not be entitled to travel as the principal passenger.
The Cabinet Office transparency data publications for the period requested, which include travel, are available on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications#2016 .
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what contingency plans they have to fulfil the functions formerly performed by HMS Ocean.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government can call on the Royal Navy's existing amphibious ships and the Bay Class ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Secretary of State for Defence approved the EU Security and Defence Implementation Plan at the European Council on 15 November 2016; and if so, in the light of the decision to leave the EU, what are their intentions with regard to further UK defence integration with the EU.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
European Union (EU) Member States have agreed Council Conclusions on the EU Security and Defence Implementation Plan, which aims to improve the effectiveness of the Common Security and Defence Policy. The UK ensured that those Conclusions are in line with our key principles of coherence with NATO, which remains the cornerstone of European defence, and keeping the European defence industry and technological base open and globally competitive. The UK remains strongly committed to European security and will remain so after we leave the EU. Defining the specifics of the UK's future foreign, security, and defence policy relationship with the EU will be subject to negotiation.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Prime Minister’s comments regarding the stability of peace in Europe if the UK leaves the EU, what steps they have taken to strengthen the armed forces.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government believes that the UK should remain in a reformed EU. As the Prime Minister has said, our EU membership helps keep the UK safer and stronger. We have the largest defence budget in the EU and the second largest in NATO. In addition, we have committed to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence over the course of this Parliament, and the Ministry of Defence's budget will rise by 0.5 per cent above inflation every year to 2020-21. We are maintaining the size of the Army, and we are increasing the size of the Royal Navy, the RAF and the reserves.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 23 February (HL4781), how many of the other armoured vehicles, totalling over 1,500, have been in service since the 1960s.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
883 Bulldog armoured vehicles entered service in the 1960s. These vehicles, previously named AFV 432, underwent a substantial upgrade programme between 2006 and 2010 and are now expected to remain in service until 2030.
Asked by: Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) horses, and (2) tanks, the British Army has.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
The Army currently has 485 horses, serving in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Division and at the Defence Animal Centre. The total number of Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks is 227.
A total of 141 Challenger variants are also in service. There are 75 armoured repair and recovery vehicles, 33 Titan armoured bridge layers and 33 Trojan combat engineering vehicles.
In addition to Challenger, the Army also operates a large number of other armoured fighting vehicles, including a combined total of over 1,500 Warriors and Bulldogs.