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 he will investigate the incident caused by temporary couplings on pipework on HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An investigation has been conducted into the flooding incident that took place in HMS Queen Elizabeth. The incident did not involve a temporary pipe coupling and there are no such couplings in HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales.
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 assessment he has made of the long-term environmental effect of delaying the dismantling of decommissioned submarines in UK dockyards.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are confident that there are no significant safety or environmental concerns (radiological or conventional) with the current storage processes. All laid-up submarines at the Rosyth and Devonport Dockyards undergo regular inspection and maintenance to comply with the very highest safety and environmental standards. This includes continual monitoring, annual surveys and periodic docking for re-preservation of the hulls. All aspects of afloat storage, including potential environmental impacts and radiological safety, are regulated by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator.
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, for what reasons temporary couplings were used on HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales instead of permanent fixtures.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An investigation has been conducted into the flooding incident that took place in HMS Queen Elizabeth. The incident did not involve a temporary pipe coupling and there are no such couplings in HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales.
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 temporary couplings on pipework were used on (a) HMS Queen Elizabeth and (b) HMS Prince of Wales.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An investigation has been conducted into the flooding incident that took place in HMS Queen Elizabeth. The incident did not involve a temporary pipe coupling and there are no such couplings in HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales.
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 army recruits are on sick leave.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Around five Army recruits undergoing basic training are currently recorded as on "sick leave", where they have been off training for more than 14 days. The number has been rounded to the nearest five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. It is drawn from single service sources rather than official statistics produced by Defence Statistics.
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 average wait is for army recruits reporting health issues during their training to receive medical treatment from (a) primary care services and (b) secondary care services.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Wait times vary by establishment. Wait times for access to military primary care rehabilitation facilities or to a routine medical appointment range from same day to 48 hours. Those recorded on the Wounded, Injured, & Long Term Sick Management Information System (WISMIS) are normally seen on the same day. Secondary healthcare services are provided by the NHS and information on wait times is not held centrally by the Ministry of Defence.
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 proportion of army recruits who take sick leave return to work to complete their training; and what the average length of absence is.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
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 safety-related incidents that have occurred during the transportation of nuclear weapons have resulted in the convoy transporting those weapons temporarily halting; and what assessment she has made of the potential environmental effect of those incidents.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The transportation of Defence Nuclear Material, which includes nuclear weapons, is carried out to the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations. Any potential issue with a convoy vehicle, no matter how minor, is treated seriously and may result in a short unscheduled stop to carry out vehicle checks to ensure that safety is maintained.
Since 2000 there have been 57 unscheduled stops of this nature. None posed any risk to the public, environment, or to any material being transported.
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 steps she is taking to increase the transparency of the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have taken the step to not publish the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's Annual Assurance Reports as it has been assessed to do so would impact national security. This step has not prevented the effective management and independent assessment of the Defence Nuclear Programme being reported to Ministers, nor has it prevented its duty holders being held to account, but we cannot accept any compromise of our capabilities in the current security climate.
The Government recognises that there is legitimate interest in nuclear safety, but we would not publish information that could be exploited by potential adversaries, compromising our national security. Overall, the Defence Nuclear Programme achieves the required standards of nuclear and radiological safety. The safety of the public, our submarine crews, the defence workforce and the protection of the environment remain the Department's priority.
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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of transparency in the regulation of nuclear safety.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have taken the step to not publish the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's Annual Assurance Reports as it has been assessed to do so would impact national security. This step has not prevented the effective management and independent assessment of the Defence Nuclear Programme being reported to Ministers, nor has it prevented its duty holders being held to account, but we cannot accept any compromise of our capabilities in the current security climate.
The Government recognises that there is legitimate interest in nuclear safety, but we would not publish information that could be exploited by potential adversaries, compromising our national security. Overall, the Defence Nuclear Programme achieves the required standards of nuclear and radiological safety. The safety of the public, our submarine crews, the defence workforce and the protection of the environment remain the Department's priority.