Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on maintenance of HMS Vigilant in each of the last three years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The table below summarises the cost of maintenance and refit for the four Vanguard class submarines for the last three financial years.
Total Maintenance Costs (£ million) | Refit Costs (£ million) | |||||
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Vanguard | 2.4 | 4.4 | 0 | 0.1 | 4.1 | |
Vengeance | 0.8 | 0.8 | 43.5 | 105.6 | 119.2 | |
Vigilant | 1.8 | 1.4 | 74.1 | 8.0 | 0.1 | |
Victorious | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 10.6 | 6.6 | 8.1 | 117.6 | 113.7 | 123.4 |
Maintenance costs for the Vanguard Class for financial year 2011-12 cannot be broken down by individual vessels as the information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on refitting HMS Vengeance in each of the last three years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The table below summarises the cost of maintenance and refit for the four Vanguard class submarines for the last three financial years.
Total Maintenance Costs (£ million) | Refit Costs (£ million) | |||||
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Vanguard | 2.4 | 4.4 | 0 | 0.1 | 4.1 | |
Vengeance | 0.8 | 0.8 | 43.5 | 105.6 | 119.2 | |
Vigilant | 1.8 | 1.4 | 74.1 | 8.0 | 0.1 | |
Victorious | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 10.6 | 6.6 | 8.1 | 117.6 | 113.7 | 123.4 |
Maintenance costs for the Vanguard Class for financial year 2011-12 cannot be broken down by individual vessels as the information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Trident missiles were capable of being deployed on 11 March 2015.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The UK’s Trident missiles are provided from a shared pool at the US Navy's Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, Georgia. The US undertakes maintenance of the missiles while they are pooled, at which time they are not allocated to either nation.
Under the Polaris Sales Agreement (amended for Trident) the UK pays the US Department of Defense an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the Strategic Weapons Facility. This contribution, which includes maintenance work, is based on the UK's share of the overall missile inventory, and historically has amounted to around £12 million a year.
There is no separate missile refurbishment program. However, in order to minimise the risk of obsolescence, the US is undertaking the Trident Life Extension program. MOD expenditure for this program (at outturn prices) for the last three years is:
Financial year | £ million |
2011-12 | 2.9 |
2012-13 | 16.2 |
2013-14 | 21.9 |
We do not comment on operational matters for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on refurbishment of Trident missiles in each of the last three years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The UK’s Trident missiles are provided from a shared pool at the US Navy's Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, Georgia. The US undertakes maintenance of the missiles while they are pooled, at which time they are not allocated to either nation.
Under the Polaris Sales Agreement (amended for Trident) the UK pays the US Department of Defense an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the Strategic Weapons Facility. This contribution, which includes maintenance work, is based on the UK's share of the overall missile inventory, and historically has amounted to around £12 million a year.
There is no separate missile refurbishment program. However, in order to minimise the risk of obsolescence, the US is undertaking the Trident Life Extension program. MOD expenditure for this program (at outturn prices) for the last three years is:
Financial year | £ million |
2011-12 | 2.9 |
2012-13 | 16.2 |
2013-14 | 21.9 |
We do not comment on operational matters for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Trident missiles are undergoing maintenance work.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The UK’s Trident missiles are provided from a shared pool at the US Navy's Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, Georgia. The US undertakes maintenance of the missiles while they are pooled, at which time they are not allocated to either nation.
Under the Polaris Sales Agreement (amended for Trident) the UK pays the US Department of Defense an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the Strategic Weapons Facility. This contribution, which includes maintenance work, is based on the UK's share of the overall missile inventory, and historically has amounted to around £12 million a year.
There is no separate missile refurbishment program. However, in order to minimise the risk of obsolescence, the US is undertaking the Trident Life Extension program. MOD expenditure for this program (at outturn prices) for the last three years is:
Financial year | £ million |
2011-12 | 2.9 |
2012-13 | 16.2 |
2013-14 | 21.9 |
We do not comment on operational matters for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on HM Naval Service pensions in each of the last three years.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The information in the table below has been extracted from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme Annual Accounts and shows how much was spent on HM Naval Service pensions in each of the last three financial years.
£ million | Pensions | Lump Sums | Widows/ Dependants | Total |
2013-14 | 732.1 | 108.1 | 67.1 | 907.3 |
2012-13 | 723.6 | 126.5 | 65.2 | 915.3 |
2011-12 | 691.81 | 95.1 | 62.3 | 849.2 |
Note 1: Figure Contains Early Departure lump sum payments and Early Departure Payment ongoing payments. Later years do not include Early Departure Payment ongoing payments.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans for UK-crewed fighter jets to be stationed on the deck of a Queen-Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.
Answered by Philip Dunne
HMS Queen Elizabeth will spend time on acceptance, commissioning and trials activity, and training of the ship's company, to ensure she is ready to start aircraft operations. This will allow a coherent build-up of capability including aircraft trials, in order to deliver an Initial Operating Capability (Carrier Strike) in 2020, at which point she will be capable of operating a wide number of aircraft, including helicopters and the UK's F-35B aircraft.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on Royal Air Force pensions in each of the last three years.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The information in the table below has been extracted from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme Annual Accounts and shows how much was spent on Royal Air Force pensions in each of the last three financial years.
£ million | Pensions | Lump Sums | Widows/ Dependants | Total |
2013-14 | 1,010.0 | 137.6 | 104.4 | 1,252.0 |
2012-13 | 993.5 | 162.4 | 102.0 | 1,257.9 |
2011-12 | 955.61 | 139.7 | 98.5 | 1,193.8 |
Note 1: Figure Contains Early Departure lump sum payments and Early Departure Payment ongoing payments. Later years do not include Early Departure Payment ongoing payments.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on British army pensions in each of the last three years.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The information in the table below has been extracted from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme Annual Accounts and shows how much was spent on British Army pensions in each of the last three financial years.
| £ million | Pensions | Lump Sums | Widows/ Dependants | Total |
| 2013-14 | 1,450.8 | 330.6 | 1,48.6 | 1,930.0 |
| 2012-13 | 1,443.1 | 307.3 | 1,47.2 | 1,897.6 |
| 2011-12 | 1.364.01 | 263.4 | 1,40.2 | 1,767.6 |
Note 1: Figure Contains Early Departure lump sum payments and Early Departure Payment ongoing payments. Later years do not include Early Departure Payment ongoing payments.
Asked by: Mike Hancock (Independent - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to reach a decision on the future use of the shipbuilding sheds in Portsmouth which have been handed back to his Department by BAE Systems.
Answered by Anna Soubry
As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 30 January 2015, three companies have been shortlisted for future use of the shipbuilding facilities - BAE Systems, Burgess Marine and Magma Structures. Preferred bidders for the shipyard site will be announced in due course.