Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed joint military base in Ushuaia on the security of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We keep our defence posture in the South Atlantic under regular review, to take account of the full range of developments. I am satisfied that the current military presence in the South Atlantic is at the appropriate level to ensure the defence of the Islands.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 24 June 2021 to Question 19488 and 6 December 2018 to Question 198373, what his most recent estimate is of the (a) anticipated out-turn cost and (b) projected in-service date of each of the approved and planned projects in the Atomic Weapons Establishment Site Development Context Plan.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The currently approved cost and in-service dates for AWE infrastructure projects, are as follows:
Project/Programme | Approved Cost | Approved In-service Date |
MENSA | £1996 million | 2024 |
PEGASUS | £634 million | Material Handling Store - 2025 Manufacture Capability – 2030 |
Project MENSA received a revised approval to its cost and in-service date in February 2022 reflecting, inter alia, the impacts of COVID-19 and amendments to the project to support the future warhead programme.
All outstanding infrastructure related projects at AWE are still subject to internal departmental approval processes and approved outturn cost and in-service dates are not yet available.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help ensure that there is oversight and accountability of the UK's military partnerships and that key policies and processes governing those relationships involve Parliament.
Answered by James Heappey
MOD Ministers are committed to their accountability responsibilities to Parliament on key policies and processes regarding our relationships with our international partners. The Department makes regular announcements on defence activity to ensure Parliament is kept up to date and we also ratify legally binding instruments through Parliament to ensure proper oversight and accountability of these agreements. Parliament holds the Department to account through monthly Defence questions, regular Parliamentary Questions, requests for information through Ministerial Correspondence, Ministerial Statements and announcements, and Select Committee inquiries.
Oversight and monitoring of the UK's military partnerships is managed within the Department through rigorous assessment processes underpinned by formal documentation. This includes regular updates to Ministers both on any new partnership agreements and on operational activity undertaken as part of existing ones.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his most recent estimate is of the (a) anticipated out-turn cost and (b) projected in-service date of each of the projects in the Atomic Weapons Establishment Site Development Context Plan.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The currently approved cost and in-service dates for AWE infrastructure projects, are as follows:
Project/Programme | Approved Cost | Approved In-service Date |
MENSA | £1806 million | 2023 |
PEGASUS | £634 million | Material Handling Store- 2025 Manufacture Capability - 2030 |
All outstanding infrastructure related projects at AWE remain in pre-approval stage and approved outturn cost and in-service dates are not available.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received on the draft text of an International Political Declaration to restrict the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Answered by James Heappey
The final version of the Political Declaration has not yet been published.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had on using an International Political Declaration to restrict the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Answered by James Heappey
The final version of the Political Declaration has not yet been published.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that each Front Line Command publishes its diversity and inclusion delivery plans, as set out in his Department's Maximising Talent Through Diversity and Inclusion news story, dated 24 July 2020.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Diversity and Inclusion Levels of Ambition (LoAs) and associated delivery plans to increase representation of underrepresented groups across race, gender, sexual orientation and those with a disability have been communicated internally by each organisation within Defence to hold leadership to account and demonstrate a wholeforce commitment to them. These plans also cover activity designed to increase engagement across our workforce and ensure each member of Defence feels valued. The Ministry of Defence has been transparent with our people on these LoAs and is taking the necessary actions and approaches to drive forward progress towards achieving them.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department's review into promotion boards is published.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
As part of the Ministry of Defence's ongoing commitment to maximising the full potential of all our personnel, the Chiefs of Staff announced last year an ambitious programme of policy and process reviews. In consultation with the single Services and on reviewing work already in progress, it was agreed that this review would focus on the processes and procedures that lead up to a Promotion Board rather than the Boards themselves. There is no intention to publish this review outside of the Department, rather, it will be used internally to further inform policy development to deliver on departmental ambitions.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many chaplains in each religious denomination served in the Sea Cadet Corps in 2019.
Answered by James Heappey
The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Unlike the Army, Royal Air Force and Combined Cadet Forces, the Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) is not wholly funded or managed by the MOD. SCC units are independent charities in their own right, affiliated to the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC), itself an independent charity. The MSSC is responsible for the overall management of cadets and volunteers.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the religious denomination of (a) cadets and (b) adults in the Sea Cadet Corps in the last two years.
Answered by James Heappey
The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Unlike the Army, Royal Air Force and Combined Cadet Forces, the Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) is not wholly funded or managed by the MOD. SCC units are independent charities in their own right, affiliated to the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC), itself an independent charity. The MSSC is responsible for the overall management of cadets and volunteers.