Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential strategic risk of UK reliance on foreign technologies for critical defence systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK recognises the importance of ensuring resilience and choice across our most critical of military capabilities. This reflects the approach to long term national security set out in the Strategic Defence Review: ensuring we are integrated into NATO force structures by design, but capable of acting as an integrated sovereign force when needed.
The UK continues to invest in sovereign capabilities where they are operationally essential. For example, we are renewing our secure, sovereign satellite communications capability through the SKYNET 6 programme. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will also deliver a sixth-generation combat air capability in partnership with Italy and Japan.
The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will set out how the UK will deliver the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, including where targeted investments are required to strengthen strategic autonomy. This includes consideration of enabling capabilities such as munitions stockpiles, cyber resilience, space assets, and critical industrial capacity.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK develops sovereign capability in defence systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK recognises the importance of ensuring resilience and choice across our most critical of military capabilities. This reflects the approach to long term national security set out in the Strategic Defence Review: ensuring we are integrated into NATO force structures by design, but capable of acting as an integrated sovereign force when needed.
The UK continues to invest in sovereign capabilities where they are operationally essential. For example, we are renewing our secure, sovereign satellite communications capability through the SKYNET 6 programme. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will also deliver a sixth-generation combat air capability in partnership with Italy and Japan.
The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will set out how the UK will deliver the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, including where targeted investments are required to strengthen strategic autonomy. This includes consideration of enabling capabilities such as munitions stockpiles, cyber resilience, space assets, and critical industrial capacity.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his department will provide a timetable for reviewing the continued use of real bearskin in military ceremonial uniforms.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The current cost of a bearskin cap is £2,460 including VAT. Whilst the longevity of caps varies depending on how they are maintained, this can be up to and in excess of 20 years.
The Department has not yet identified a synthetic alternative that meets the standards required to provide an effective replacement for bearskin ceremonial caps. However, the Ministry of Defence remains committed to finding a synthetic alternative and continues to welcome submissions of test results, from a testing house accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, on synthetic alternatives that meet our criteria for a suitable, affordable and sustainable alternative to bearskin caps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his department has made of the comparative lifetime cost of (a) real bearskin caps and (b) identified synthetic alternatives.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The current cost of a bearskin cap is £2,460 including VAT. Whilst the longevity of caps varies depending on how they are maintained, this can be up to and in excess of 20 years.
The Department has not yet identified a synthetic alternative that meets the standards required to provide an effective replacement for bearskin ceremonial caps. However, the Ministry of Defence remains committed to finding a synthetic alternative and continues to welcome submissions of test results, from a testing house accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, on synthetic alternatives that meet our criteria for a suitable, affordable and sustainable alternative to bearskin caps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to provide adequate (a) staffing and (b) budget to implement the extension of the armed forces covenant legal duty.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
In collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is co-developing a burdens assessment to understand the potential impacts on Local Authorities. In addition, to support organisations in meeting their Covenant Duty obligations, the MOD will provide training materials, webinars, downloadable resources and clear statutory guidance. Officials continue to work at pace to ensure legislation benefits the entire Armed Forces Community.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of extending the armed forces covenant legal duty on resources in Government departments.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
In collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is co-developing a burdens assessment to understand the potential impacts on Local Authorities. In addition, to support organisations in meeting their Covenant Duty obligations, the MOD will provide training materials, webinars, downloadable resources and clear statutory guidance. Officials continue to work at pace to ensure legislation benefits the entire Armed Forces Community.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Israel Defence Forces personnel have received training in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Al Carns
Fewer than ten Israel Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been trained on non-combat military academic courses in the UK each year since 2020. The exact number of IDF personnel is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and other States.
The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. UK training courses promote British values, including human rights, democracy, and compliance with international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of involvement in UK nuclear weapons testing programmes between 1952 and 1991 on the long-term health of veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This Government recognises the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security and is committed to working with Veterans and listening to their concerns. We have amended the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal and are examining unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority.
The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the atmospheric tests was a vital consideration, as shown by the detailed documented safety measures and radiobiological monitoring that took place during the operations. An independently conducted longitudinal study of Nuclear Test Veterans who took part in the UK military nuclear test programme between 1952 to 1967, has been analysed four times over several decades. All analyses have consistently demonstrated that total cancer and mortality rates amongst Nuclear Test Veterans are aligned with those serving contemporaneously in the UK Armed Forces who did not participate in the testing programme and were lower than for the general population.
Those who participated in the nuclear test programme and feel they were negatively impacted are able to apply to the War Pensions Scheme for compensation.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a dedicated compensation scheme for UK nuclear test veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This Government recognises the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security and is committed to working with Veterans and listening to their concerns. We have amended the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal and are examining unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority.
The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the atmospheric tests was a vital consideration, as shown by the detailed documented safety measures and radiobiological monitoring that took place during the operations. An independently conducted longitudinal study of Nuclear Test Veterans who took part in the UK military nuclear test programme between 1952 to 1967, has been analysed four times over several decades. All analyses have consistently demonstrated that total cancer and mortality rates amongst Nuclear Test Veterans are aligned with those serving contemporaneously in the UK Armed Forces who did not participate in the testing programme and were lower than for the general population.
Those who participated in the nuclear test programme and feel they were negatively impacted are able to apply to the War Pensions Scheme for compensation.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to review the policy on compensation for families of nuclear test veterans.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This Government recognises the huge contribution that Nuclear Test Veterans have made to national security and is committed to working with Veterans and listening to their concerns. We have amended the criteria for the commemorative Nuclear Test Medal and are examining unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority.
The protection, health and welfare of those involved in the atmospheric tests was a vital consideration, as shown by the detailed documented safety measures and radiobiological monitoring that took place during the operations. An independently conducted longitudinal study of Nuclear Test Veterans who took part in the UK military nuclear test programme between 1952 to 1967, has been analysed four times over several decades. All analyses have consistently demonstrated that total cancer and mortality rates amongst Nuclear Test Veterans are aligned with those serving contemporaneously in the UK Armed Forces who did not participate in the testing programme and were lower than for the general population.
Those who participated in the nuclear test programme and feel they were negatively impacted are able to apply to the War Pensions Scheme for compensation.