Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) retain and (b) recruit personnel into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are highly valued, specialist personnel. We welcome the recent agreement of a pay award for the RFA and thank the Maritime Trade Unions for their support in reaching this resolution.
This agreement is a significant step in a plan to reform the RFA. These reforms will improve the wider employee offer for those serving and ensure the RFA can continue to perform its vital role supporting the Royal Navy and our allies.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department's procurement contracts have been awarded to UK-based manufacturers in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to promote the growth of domestic defence manufacturing.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department does not record within our systems directly where a contract is manufactured or the location of the supplier manufacturing. The Department do however collect the prime location of the contract as marked by the contact owner on Contract Purchasing and Finance system (CP&F) when the contract is first created.
Between 16 Dec 2023 to 15 Dec 2024 there have been 2,266 contracts created on the Mkinistry of Defence's CP&F commercial system.
Of these contracts 583 (26%) have been marked with a known location for the contract.
Of these 583 contacts, 531 (91%) have a prime contract location of the UK, while 52 (9%) are marked as a foreign country.
By contract value this works out as £3.85 billion of £20.68 billion (19%) having a known location.
This equates to 78% of the total contract spend with a prime contract location of UK (£2.99 billion UK vs £0.85 billion foreign country).
The UK’s defence manufacturing industry is vital not only to our national security but to our prosperity and economic growth. The Government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy will aim to align the imperatives of national security and a high growth economy.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the Future Combat Air System.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Progress continues to be made on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The core platform, that will sit at its heart, is being delivered through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The Prime Minister and his Italian and Japanese counterparts have reiterated their commitment to GCAP. The GCAP International Government Organisation to oversee delivery on behalf of all the partner governments has been created. On 13 December 2024, BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC), reached an agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for GCAP, subject to regulatory approvals. The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of the next generation combat aircraft.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to replenish stockpiles of precision-guided munitions; and what steps he plans to take to help increase domestic production capacity.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope. Through investing in munitions we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen our resilience and self-reliance, boost our sovereign defence industrial capacity, increase our exports and create good jobs in the UK. The Department will continue to develop our approach as the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review become clear.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps his Department has taken to enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces and allied nations' forces on joint operations.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Enhancing interoperability continues to be at the core of our work, both between the branches of our Armed Forces and with our Allies. UK Strategic Command is defence's Integrated Design Authority ensuring integration across capabilities. Internationally, the UK continues to play a leading role in exercises and training, such as through hosting the upcoming Exercise Formidable Shield - the world's largest maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defence exercise. We continue to develop our key international partnerships - such as the Joint Expeditionary Force - to ensure our capabilities are interoperable across both NATO and wider allies.