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Written Question
Porton Down: Ministerial Policy Advisers
Tuesday 1st September 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Government special advisers have been granted access to Porton Down in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is one of several organisations based at the Porton Down. Each organisation manages and records its visitors separately.

Centrally-held visitor information records for Dstl do not routinely record the role or function of visiting officials and so this information is not available. However, at least two Special Advisers have visited Dstl Porton Down in the past five years, one in 2018 and the other in 2020.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the graphic designs of the refurbished RAF Voyager; and if he will place a copy of those designs in the Library.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Yes, I have arranged for the graphic designs for the RAF Voyager to be placed in the Library of the House.


Written Question
Electronic Surveillance: Mobile Phones
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the threat to the UK's cyber-security of NSO Group's Pegasus software; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Heappey

The issue of cyber security is one the UK takes very seriously; the cyber threat is continually changing in scope and complexity. For reasons of safeguarding national security, we do not routinely disclose detailed information about the threats to UK networks.


Written Question
Intelligence and Security Committee
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2020 to Question 58612 on Islamic State: Military Intervention, whether that matter would fall under the remit of the Intelligence and Security Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Heappey

The remit of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) of Parliament is set out within the Justice and Security Act 2013, and the accompanying Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is published and available at:

http://isc.independent.gov.uk/

Except for the circumstances specified in Paragraphs 11-17 of the MOU, operational intelligence activity falls outside the scope of the ISC.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Thursday 2nd July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2020 to Question 61411 on Voyager Aircraft; what effect the new livery will have on the number of refuelling missions the aircraft will be able to undertake.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The new livery will have no effect on the number of refuelling missions the Voyager aircraft can take. Air-to-Air refuelling (AAR) remains the primary role of the aircraft when it is not being used for VIP travel. The aircraft has demonstrated this already and has undertaken routine AAR missions since returning from repaint.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Renewable Energy
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

There are approximately 115,000 buildings in the total Ministry of Defence Estate, and information on the number of solar panels and wind turbines on these buildings in 2020, and in each of the last 5 years, is not held in the format requested.

However, there are examples of such installations including 2,653 solar PV panels installed by the Allenby Connaught Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and solar panels have been included on 286 new Service Family Accommodation houses recently built near the Salisbury Plain Training Area.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) Her Majesty the Queen or (b) Her Majesty the Queen's household was consulted on the changes to the colour of RAF Voyager.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Consistent with normal practice, users of the RAF VIP Voyager were informed of the final designs to the changes of livery, this included Her Majesty The Queen's Household.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the evidential basis that the re-painting of RAF Voyager in the colours of the Union Jack will (a) boost international trade and (b) improve diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The VIP Voyager aircraft is already used to fly senior Government Ministers and members of the Royal Family on official business. The new livery better reflects this prestigious task and supports the UK's prosperity agenda, promoting Global Britain the world over when used for international trade and diplomatic missions.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the RAF has raised any security implications with regard to re-painting RAF Voyager in the colours of the Union Jack when that aircraft is used to carry (a) Ministers and (b) members of the Royal Family; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The RAF has not raised any security implications regarding the re-painting of the VIP Voyager aircraft.


Written Question
Voyager Aircraft
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to refurbish a RAF Voyager in Union Jack colours for ministerial travel; what the cost of that refurbishment is; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 June to questions 60776, 60814, 60842, 60852, 60853 and 60864 to the hon Members for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), Newport West (Ruth Jones), Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm McDonald), Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) and Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan).