Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with reservist employers about mobilising (1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, in the event of any second wave of COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintains regular contact with reservist employers (including the Army Reserve) through routine engagement activities. Should there be a requirement to mobilise more reservists for future tasks related to COVID-19, the MOD will engage with employers through the usual, well established channels.
So far, there has been a very positive response from employers to the call-out of reservists as part of the national response to COVID-19. Details of call-out procedures, including the responsibilities of employers and reservists, and the financial compensation packages available, are set out on-line on www.gov.uk.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for mobilising (1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, in the event of any second wave of COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
As part of our normal contingency planning arrangements, the Ministry of Defence is currently scoping its potential input into the response to any potential second wave of COVID-19. A reserve call-out order is already in place for the use of Reserve forces in the response to COVID-19, which could be used to mobilise Army Reserve and Regular Reserves should a second wave occur. Defence seeks to mobilise intelligently, making the most of the expertise available through its Reserve forces, whilst giving them and their employers flexibility.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to mobilise (1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, to deal with any (a) second wave of COVID-19, and (b) any unrest following the end of the Brexit transition period.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Reservists undertake a variety of roles within Defence and provide a valuable contribution when called upon. As part of the national response to the Coronavirus pandemic circa 2,300 reservists (circa 1,850 of which were Army reservists) have been mobilised for Covid-19 related activities this year. The authority to mobilise reservists in Covid-19 roles is active until March 2021. This enables reservists mobilised prior to March 2021, under the Covid-19 Reserves Call Out Order to contribute to any Defence response to a potential second wave of Covid-19 if there is a need to do so.
The maintenance of public order is the responsibility of the police. There are no plans to utilise Armed Forces personnel, including reservists, to deal with any unrest following the end of the transition period. Defence remains closely engaged on contingency planning related to the end of the EU Transition Period and remains available to support the civil authorities if necessary.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 related deployments on the fulfilment of their standing defence commitments.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Throughout the pandemic, the Department has prioritised the delivery of critical Defence outputs, including standing commitments. The Department assesses that there has been no significant impact caused by its support to COVID-19 activity.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether military personnel are still assisting with COVID-19 testing; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
As of Monday 27 July 2020, there are 96 Military Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) crews operational to assist with Covid-19 testing. This is inclusive of 22 Strategic Reserve crews. The Armed Forces have begun the process of handing over the operation of MTUs to civilian contractors for ongoing testing in line with Military Aid to the Civil Authorities principles regarding commercial solutions.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security of the Baltic and North Sea following recent reports that the Russian navy will commission 40 new vessels in 2020.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Ministry of Defence monitors the development of all new Russian vessels commissioned and makes assessments based on their operational capability. We continue to assess the impact of Russian naval investments to regional security, including the Baltic and North Seas. Russia continues to be a significant state-based threat to the UK; monitoring and responding to this threat is a core priority for the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of recent Russian submarine deployment into the Mediterranean and Baltic seas.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Ministry of Defence monitors the deployments of Russian submarines and makes assessments based on their operational capability. A nuclear-powered submarine transited from its Northern Fleet base to St Petersburg where it will take part in Russia's Navy Day on 26th July, as part of a predicted annual commitment. A further Russian submarine transited from its Black Sea base port to Tartus, Syria, as part of their routine presence operations in the eastern Mediterranean. Russia continues to be a significant state-based threat to the UK; monitoring and responding to this threat is a core priority for the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to send the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to the South China Sea; and if so, (1) when the decision was made, and (2) what will be the objective.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
No decision has yet been made. Cross Government consultation is in progress and we expect to finalise the details of the deployment soon. The UK has enduring interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and the Royal Navy has maintained a near persistent presence there for a number of years, conducting numerous activities promoting security and defence relationships with our partners and upholding the Rules Based International System. Building on this, the Royal Navy intends to continue to operate across the region, including in the South China Sea.