Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether compliance obligations related to defence procurement will be assessed for potential reduction.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Through our acquisition reforms we are streamlining our processes and taking risk-based approaches to procurement. We will focus assurance activity where it is most needed, reducing bureaucracy to drive pace in delivery, while ensuring compliance with the Department’s legal obligations.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of (a) 28 February 2025, to Question 31166 and (b) 5 March 2025 to Question 34449, on Ministers: Aviation, if he will list the number of individual journeys that aggregates to the £4,282 cost.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Between 5 July and 31 December 2024 there were 36 tasks relating to Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy.
It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas Ministerial travel is published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 34448 on Ministers: Helicopters, how many journeys this figure relates to; and whether this cost was the total cost of the journeys or a pro-rata cost for Ministers as part of a wider group.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The figure provided relates to three helicopter journeys undertaken by Defence Ministers since 4 July 2024. It covers the costs captured for helicopter use for those journeys.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 34448, on Ministers: Helicopters, how much of the post-4 July Ministerial expenditure to date relates to helicopter travel (a) before 1 January 2024 and (b) after 1 January 2025.
Answered by Maria Eagle
All expenditure relates to the period 4 July to 31 December 2024. There has been no Ministerial expenditure on helicopter transport since 1 January 2025.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 34447 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of operating the new helicopter service for (a) Ministers and (b) senior (i) officials and (ii) military personnel.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The cost to the Ministry of Defence for use of the Cabinet Office provided helicopter transport service depends on the usage. Entitlelment to use rotary wing air transportation has been tightened significantly by the Defence Secretary to reduce usage.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) internal policy reviews, (b) independent reviews, (c) external reviews, (d) taskforces, (e) public consultations, (f) investigations and (g) other reviews their Department launched between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025; what the titles were of those reviews; and how many of those reviews have been (i) completed and (ii) published.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On 16 July 2024, the Strategic Defence Review was launched by the Prime Minister. This root and branch review - which will put personnel at the heart of our future defence, strengthen our homeland security, and ensure the UK continues to lead in NATO - will report in the spring.
In October 2024 the Defence Secretary launched Defence Reform, the biggest reform programme in defence for 50 years. It will create a stronger UK defence centre that will secure better value for money and better outcomes for our Armed Forces, and be better able to implement the Strategic Defence Review.
Ministers are also focussing on other key issues including the Defence Industrial Strategy, launched on 2 December 2024, which will help secure Britain's growth and create good jobs across the UK. Defence is also participating in a range of national security and other relevant reviews led by other Departments.