Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 11369 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles and with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for Halifax dated 14 March 2024, deposited paper reference DEP2024-0312, who the 18 scimitar combat reconnaissance vehicles were sold externally to.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 December 2023 to Question UIN 6229 to the hon Member for Norwich South (Mr Clive Lewis).
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2024 to Question 10491 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Accidents, how he plans to monitor implementation of the recommendations made by the Defence Safety Authority Service Inquiry into the fatal accident involving a Scimitar Fighting Vehicle on Salisbury Plain Training Area - 15 October 2021, published on 23rd November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The welfare of our personnel is of the utmost importance and all 52 of the recommendations in this report have been accepted and assigned an appropriate Owner within the Department. The Owner will, when appropriate, submit their evidence to the Defence Safety Authority, where the Director General will consider closing the outstanding action.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status is of all scimitar combat reconnaissance vehicles that are no longer in active service.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
It is taking time to collate the information. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to issue a response to the Defence Safety Authority's report entitled fatal accident involving a Scimitar Fighting Vehicle on Salisbury Plain Training Area 15 October 2021, published on 23 November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
A redacted version of the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) Service Inquiry (SI) report following the death of Private Jethro Watson-Pickering from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, in an accident involving a Scimitar Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) on Salisbury Plain Training Area on 15 Oct 21 was published in Nov 23.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigation-into-the-fatal-accident-involving-a-scimitar-fighting-vehicle-on-salisbury-plain-training-area-15-october-2021
The welfare of our personnel is of the utmost importance and the Army has accepted all 52 of the recommendations in this report. There are however no plans to issue a formal response.
CVR(T) Scimitar is no longer in service; however, where the recommendations are applicable to other in-service armoured platforms, they will be implemented as soon as possible. The Army will review the Coroner's findings when available, to identify any additional recommendations.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK meets its obligations to NATO.
Answered by Ben Wallace
NATO is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation that orientates it towards the main threats of Russia and Terrorism.
Our commitment to NATO is unconditional and our contribution to deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic will be delivered via credible, deployable and lethal warfighting capabilities into the NATO Force Model.
Under the new Regional Plans, UK forces, operating alongside our Allies in NATO will deter further aggression and defend every inch of NATO territory. In the first year of these new plans, the UK will have enhanced our force posture in Estonia with rapid reinforcements on standby, have sent warships and fighter aircraft to south-east Europe and the Mediterranean and lead the inaugural very high-readiness Allied Reaction Force.
We will continue to contribute to every NATO mission and declare the UK’s nuclear deterrent to NATO.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.
Answered by Sarah Atherton
Each Ministry of Defence site is individually responsible for determining the number of work stations available for employee use. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.