Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the added value a bilateral defence co-operation treaty with Poland will bring to existing NATO guarantees between the UK and Poland.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK and Poland have a strong bilateral relationship; we have approximately 150 UK troops deployed to Poland on a persistent basis as part of enhanced Forward Presence. We are both important members of NATO. The UK/Poland bilateral Defence Cooperation Treaty will provide a framework for collaboration that is complementary to our work in NATO but in no way supersedes it. We have other bilateral treaties with NATO Allies, such as France, which work in a similar manner.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Government plans to sign the defence co-operation treaty with Poland announced in the joint communiqué issued in December 2016.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The plan is for the UK/Poland Bilateral Defence Cooperation Treaty to be signed by the end of this calendar year, at the next PM-led Inter-Governmental Consultations.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) UK military operations in Libya between 1 March and 31 August 2011, (b) the personnel deployed during those operations, (c) the ordinance deployed during those operations and (d) the fuel used during those operations.
Answered by Mike Penning
The costs of military operations are compiled in terms of the net additional costs incurred, which are defined as those which the Department would not have incurred had the operation not taken place. The costs of Op ELLAMY were £21 million in Financial Year 2010-11 and £213 million in Financial Year 2011-12. The total includes £5 million for personnel costs and £114 million for the non-cash cost of weapons expended. In addition, £52 million was allocated for the replenishment of weapons expended in Financial Year 2011-12 and Financial Year 2012-13. Costs of fuel are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the SA80 L85 A2's lifecycle.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The SA80 L85 A2 is a reliable, battle proven weapon suitable for worldwide operations.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in contracting for the new mechanised infantry vehicles as outlined in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, Column 9161.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 February 2017 to Question 63162 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Dutch counterpart on the efforts of the Royal Netherlands Army to (a) identify and (b) mark the grave of Private Gilbert Anderson of the 11th Parachute Battalion who was killed in action on 20 September 1944.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Department is aware of the case surrounding the potential rededication of the grave for Private Anderson, but the case has not been passed to the Ministry of Defence to manage.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he is having with his Russian counterpart on improving collaboration on defence affairs.
Answered by Michael Fallon
I am not currently engaged in any discussions with my Russian counterpart. The illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russia’s continuing support to separatists in eastern Ukraine do not allow a return to normal engagement.
However, in the interests of Air and Maritime safety, I have authorised MOD officials to undertake limited military to military engagement with the Russians, which is now in progress.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases of suicide by serving armed forces personnel occurred between 1 October 2008 and 31 December 2012.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Between 1 October 2008 and 31 December 2012, there were 49 Coroner - confirmed suicides amongst UK Armed Forces personnel.
The most recent detailed analysis of this issue, in the National Statistics' publication Suicide and Open Verdict Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces 1984 - 2013 indicated a declining trend in all three services.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing our service personnel with the best possible quality of mental health and welfare support. Commanding officers in each of the services are given clear guidance on the management of individuals who are potentially vulnerable or at risk for a variety of reasons, including the risk of suicide or deliberate self-harm.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases of suicide by serving armed forces personnel resulted in a full service enquiry between 2002 and 2012.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Service inquiries were introduced on 1 October 2008, to replace the three single-Service systems of boards of inquiry. In the period from 1 October 2008 until 31 December 2012, the number of cases in which the death of a Service person was confirmed by a coroner (or the procurator fiscal for Scotland) as a suicide, and for which a service inquiry was held, is four.
The number of cases in the Naval Service for which a board of inquiry was convened into a death confirmed as a suicide in the period from 1 January 2002 until 30 September 2008 is seven. Information about the number of boards of inquiry convened by either the Army or the RAF before October 2008 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.