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Written Question
USA: Military Bases
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the (a) provision and (b) location of further bases for US (i) personnel and (ii) equipment in the UK.

Answered by James Heappey

The US is the UK's principal defence and security partner. UK Ministers and officials speak regularly with US counterparts to ensure coherence and alignment between our two nations, including on the footprint of both the US forces based within the UK, and the UK military presence in the US. Together, we regularly discuss and review our military footprint requirements.

The US military presence in the UK is part of its strategic posture within Europe, providing assurance and deterrence for NATO, and is a visible demonstration of the continuing strength of our bilateral relationship.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if will make an estimate of the number of (a) Royal Navy and (b) Babcock plc staff who have been assigned to the work to repair HMS Prince of Wales as of 15 November 2022.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Six Royal Navy staff have been specifically assigned to investigate the cause of, and manage work to rectify, the defect in HMS Prince of Wales. Further Royal Navy staff are working to rectify the defect as part of their wider duties, but the numbers of these staff cannot be ascertained in the time available. It is not for the Ministry of Defence to comment on the resourcing of external contractors.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs and Maintenance
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had Babcock plc on (a) the costs of the repair programme for HMS Prince of Wales and (b) agreement of an upper cost budget limit.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 November 2022 to Question 74554.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales: Rosyth Dockyard
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost has been of moving HMS Prince of Wales to Rosyth for repair.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

HMS PRINCE OF WALES was assisted by the escort tug Njord Viking on her journey to Rosyth at a cost of £246,000. There were no other additional costs involved in the move.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales: Crew
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the crew compliment of HMS Prince of Wales have been assigned to other vessels or duties during that ship’s current repair programme.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

When fully crewed, HMS PRINCE OF WALES has 797 personnel. While repairs are undertaken, she has retained her fully trained crew in order to maintain the many systems onboard and to quickly deploy once repairs are complete.

Of that crew, 165 Service personnel are currently supporting Military Aid to Civil Authorities and a small number have been or are being provided on a short-term loan to other Platforms.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales: Crew
Monday 21st November 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many crew are on board HMS Prince of Wales.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

When fully crewed, HMS PRINCE OF WALES has 797 personnel. While repairs are undertaken, she has retained her fully trained crew in order to maintain the many systems onboard and to quickly deploy once repairs are complete.

Of that crew, 165 Service personnel are currently supporting Military Aid to Civil Authorities and a small number have been or are being provided on a short-term loan to other Platforms.


Written Question
Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning
Friday 10th June 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to submarines being dismantled as of 6 June 2022, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood that (a) each of those projects will be completed in line with planned timescales and (b) completion dates will be met.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.

The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.


Written Question
HMS Swiftsure: Decommissioning
Friday 10th June 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the probability that the disposal of SSN Swiftsure will be completed by its target date in 2026.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.

The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.


Written Question
Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning
Friday 10th June 2022

Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many decommissioned submarines are awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022; and what his planned timetable is for the completion of the current programme of disposals.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are 21 decommissioned submarines awaiting disposal as of 6 June 2022. Good progress continues to be made with submarine dismantling in Rosyth as illustrated by the completion of removing all low-level radioactive waste from the third boat, REVENGE, in January 2022.

The Submarine Dismantling Project remains on track to deliver a safe, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution for dismantling all our non-operational submarines. The first disposal, SWIFTSURE, is being used as a demonstrator submarine to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard and this remains on schedule for completion by the target date of 2026. As that work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the dates when the current programme of disposals will be completed.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 25 Nov 2021
Army Restructuring: Future Soldier

Speech Link

View all Douglas Chapman (SNP - Dunfermline and West Fife) contributions to the debate on: Army Restructuring: Future Soldier