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Written Question
Ajax Vehicles
Thursday 19th May 2022

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the future of the Ajax vehicle; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Ajax Update I have issued today through a Written Ministerial Statement.


Written Question
Aircraft Carriers: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Thursday 19th May 2022

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the new aircraft carriers to use data from the F-35 Lightning effectively.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

It would be inappropriate to comment in detail on the capacity of the aircraft carriers to use data from the F-35B as to do so would or could be likely to prejudice the capability of our Armed Forces.

However, I can confirm that the aircraft carriers have a dedicated, integrated mission planning and de-brief facility which is used to analyse data the F-35Bs have gathered during their mission. These facilities proved invaluable on the most recent Carrier Strike Group deployment (CSG21) and provide a significant organic capability for the Ministry of Defence now and into the future.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Training
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Service law in holding people accountable for military training supervision.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the Government response to the Defence Committee's specific recommendations and conclusions

(https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmdfence/525/52504.htm#_idTextAnchor001), and specifically to answers 21 to 28 in the section titled "Accountability".

The exemptions to the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 relating to operations, "hazardous training in preparation for operations", and Specialist Military Units were addressed in answer 25 of the Government response. The rationale set out then remains valid but as the answer notes, the situation is kept under review.

The Ministry of Defence believes that the range of criminal, disciplinary and administrative powers available provides a sufficient means of holding individuals, the Armed Forces, and the Department accountable for training supervision, but this too remains under review and any necessary changes will be addressed in the next Armed Forces Bill.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Training
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Select Committee report, Session 2015-16, Beyond Endurance: Military Exercises and the Duty of Care (HC598), what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the recommendation that the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 should be amended to provide appropriate legal restraints to the military.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the Government response to the Defence Committee's specific recommendations and conclusions

(https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmdfence/525/52504.htm#_idTextAnchor001), and specifically to answers 21 to 28 in the section titled "Accountability".

The exemptions to the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 relating to operations, "hazardous training in preparation for operations", and Specialist Military Units were addressed in answer 25 of the Government response. The rationale set out then remains valid but as the answer notes, the situation is kept under review.

The Ministry of Defence believes that the range of criminal, disciplinary and administrative powers available provides a sufficient means of holding individuals, the Armed Forces, and the Department accountable for training supervision, but this too remains under review and any necessary changes will be addressed in the next Armed Forces Bill.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Training
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of sanctions applied to (a) his Department, (b) the armed forces and (c) individuals for failings in the safe supervision of training events.

Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the Government response to the Defence Committee's specific recommendations and conclusions

(https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmdfence/525/52504.htm#_idTextAnchor001), and specifically to answers 21 to 28 in the section titled "Accountability".

The exemptions to the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 relating to operations, "hazardous training in preparation for operations", and Specialist Military Units were addressed in answer 25 of the Government response. The rationale set out then remains valid but as the answer notes, the situation is kept under review.

The Ministry of Defence believes that the range of criminal, disciplinary and administrative powers available provides a sufficient means of holding individuals, the Armed Forces, and the Department accountable for training supervision, but this too remains under review and any necessary changes will be addressed in the next Armed Forces Bill.


Written Question
Defence: Expenditure
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row V of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Operations Other Costs and Services.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.

The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018


Written Question
Defence: Expenditure
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row W of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Operations Receipts and other Income.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.

The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018


Written Question
Defence: Expenditure
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row X of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Operations Capital Single Use Military Equipment.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.

The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018


Written Question
Defence: Expenditure
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row Y of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Non-Departmental Public Bodies Costs (net).

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.

The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018


Written Question
Defence: Expenditure
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row Z of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published in May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the heading Defence Capability Admin Service Personnel Costs.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.

The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018