Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the its workplace culture.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the UK Armed Forces are committed to taking action to improve culture and eradicate unacceptable behaviour. This involves a broad range of ongoing interventions, from developing training, carrying out climate assessments, implementing a suite of policies including the 'Zero tolerance to unacceptable sexual behaviour: A victim/survivor focussed approach', and working to better understand why these behaviours occur. We are transforming our approach to Service Complaints and the Service Justice System, improving trust and confidence in those systems so that when unacceptable behaviours arise, they are reported and dealt with seriously and expeditiously.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen defence relationships with Japan.
Answered by James Heappey
I refer the hon.Member to the answer I gave on 15 March to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwwich (Dr Kieran Mullan) to Question 159086.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the ongoing upgrades to Ajax armoured vehicles.
Answered by Alex Chalk
User Validation Trials successfully confirmed that the modifications to Ajax vehicles ensure crew exposure to noise and vibration levels remain within legislative requirements. The modifications are now being applied to training vehicles already delivered to the Army and will be applied to all future vehicle deliveries.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Answered by James Heappey
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a complex network of security challenges including a rising threat from violent extremist organisations and terrorism.
The UK is working with our partners across the region to promote regional stability and collaborate on peace support operations. Furthermore, we are increasing our efforts to support African-led multilateral initiatives, such as the Accra Initiative, to encourage African leadership in responding to security challenges. Our efforts are particularly focused on addressing the drivers of insecurity and instability and building resilience among partners’ armed forces.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs across the UK.
Answered by Alex Chalk
The most recent estimate shows Ministry of Defence (MOD) investment supports 219,000 jobs in industries across the UK, including 141,000 direct jobs and 78,000 indirect jobs.
Continued high and focussed investment in defence, along with the changes we are making as part of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, means that the MOD is well placed to contribute to economic growth and Levelling Up across the Union.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Ukrainian defence against Russian aggression.
Answered by James Heappey
Ukraine continues to conduct a highly effective defence against Russia's invasion. On the ground, it holds Russian forces along a 1,200km front. In the air, it has effectively neutralised Russia's theoretically overwhelming advantage in air power through the skilled use of ground-based air defences. At sea, Ukraine's limited naval forces have had remarkable success to preventing Russia's Black Sea Fleet from conducting its sea control mission in key parts of the Black Sea. Ukraine has recaptured approximately half of the extra territory Russia seized after 24 February 2022. Ukraine experiences pressures on its own military resources, but it has inflicted huge losses on Russia. The Russian military has suffered up to 200,000 casualties, and nearly 10,000 of its military vehicles have been verified as lost.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support British shipbuilding.
Answered by Alex Chalk
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 14 December 2022 to Question 104345 and 13 March 2023 to Question 159089 to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan).
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve defence collaboration with industry.
Answered by Alex Chalk
The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of collaboration, including closer and earlier dialogue with industry. The Defence and Security Industrial Strategy set the framework for a deeper, more sophisticated, and strategic relationship with industry. We are delivering this by strengthening the Defence Suppliers Forum, engaging our largest suppliers through the Strategic Partnering Programme, and focusing on export opportunities through the Defence Growth Partnership. Complementing this work we continue to engage with the defence sector through trade associations, and our outreach activity aimed at Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to develop innovative defence technology.
Answered by Alex Chalk
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 March 2023 to Question 159090 to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan).
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department’s contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole missile systems is due to expire.
Answered by Alex Chalk
The contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile systems is due to expire in February 2025.