Parliamentary Questions

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

NATO: Space Technology

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

outh Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with NATO on (a) planning and (b) collaboration in space.

 

Answer

Luke Pollard

Labour

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Commons

Answered on 24 October 2024

We hold regular discussions with NATO on how the UK can support efforts to strengthen allied utilisation of the space domain.

The UK actively participates in tabletop exercises and wargames, and actively contributes to NATO satellite communications projects. At Octobers meeting of NATO Defence Ministers, the UK signed up to NATO’s STARLIFT programme, that could see allies use UK launch vehicles and space ports to deploy space assets, further developing NATO’s space capabilities.

 

Electronic Warfare

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the UK’s sovereign capabilities in cyber-warfare.

 

Answer

Luke Pollard

Labour

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Commons

Answered on 24 October 2024

UK Defence has invested significantly in sovereign cyber capabilities, standing up the National Cyber Force in 2020 to counter and contest those who would do harm to the UK or its allies. In addition, Defence has also invested in programmes to improve cyber resilience. The UK is a leading responsible and democratic cyber power and Defence is committed to further investment to both grow the National Cyber Force and build further defensive cyber capabilities. The importance of digital and cyber to future warfare is also being considered as a next step within the Strategic Defence Review. Defence will continue to work together with the Cabinet Office, National Cyber Security Centre and other partners as part of a whole of society approach to delivering the National Cyber Strategy.

 

UK Space Agency: Scotland

Question for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Andrew Griffith

Conservative

Arundel and South Downs

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will visit the UK Space Agency’s office in Scotland.

 

Answer

Chris Bryant

Labour

Rhondda and Ogmore

Commons

Answered on 24 October 2024

The Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology will consider visiting the UK Space Agency’s Scotland office as and when his diary allows, and is committed to supporting the growth of the Scottish space sector. My Ministerial colleague, Lord Patrick Vallance, visited the UKSA’s office in Scotland this week (Wednesday 23 October).

 

Defence: Expenditure

Question for Ministry of Defence

Stuart Anderson

Conservative

South Shropshire

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing defence expenditure to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 for small businesses in supply chains.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 24 October 2024

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in a vibrant and flexible UK defence industry, delivering innovation and supporting a wide variety of high quality jobs across the United Kingdom. The Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy will both help make defence a more attractive market for SMEs by encouraging small businesses to contribute fully in Defence procurement and make the most of future growth within the Defence supply chain.

 

Information Warfare

Question for Ministry of Defence

Mr Calvin Bailey

Labour

Leyton and Wanstead

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Joint Concept Note 2/18 entitled Information Advantage, published by his Department in November 2018, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the level of resources available to the BBC World Service on the UK’s (a) strategic information capability, (b) capacity to counter adversaries’ use of information as a weapon and (c) capacity to use digital technology to achieve influence.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 24 October 2024

Joint Concept Note (JCN) 2/18, Information Advantage, sets out proposals for how Defence could use information differently, it is not Government policy. The BBC World Service is not part of Defence and therefore its funding is not a matter for the Ministry of Defence.

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

Future Combat Air System

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much spending on the (a) Future Combat Air System and (b) Global Combat Air Programme he plans to defer from the current financial year.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The UK expects to invest over £1.3 billion in the Future Combat Air System/Global Combat Air Programme and the associated Team Tempest R&D programme, in the current financial year.

 

Ministry of Defence: MBDA

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the non-commercially sensitive details of his Department’s Portfolio Management Agreement with MBDA.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

Non-commercially sensitive details of the Ministry of Defence’s Portfolio Management Agreement with MBDA have been announced. There are no plans to publish further details.

 

Type 45 Destroyers: Guided Weapons

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to provide funding for Sea Viper’s enhancement.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The enhancement of Sea Viper is named Sea Viper Evolution, which includes upgrades to the Type 45 Destroyer’s Multi-Function Radar, Combat Management System (CMS), Weapon Command and Control (C2), and the Aster 30 missile. The first stage, called Capability 1, is in Demonstration and Manufacture Phase as of March 2023. The next stage, called Capability 2, is in Assessment Phase as of June 2023, completing in 2025.

Departmental spending plans will be set out in the usual way.

 

Type 31 Frigates: Sales

Show full question

Question for Ministry of Defence

Graeme Downie

Labour

Dunfermline and Dollar

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with international partners on the sale of Type 31 frigates.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The Ministry of Defence is actively supporting live and prospective export campaigns based on the Type 31 (with the export variant known as the Arrowhead 140) capability with support from the Department of Business and Trade. For example, the Secretary of State for Defence recently met his Polish counterpart where they discussed the Miecznik programme and its progress.

 

Type 31 Frigates: Sales

Question for Ministry of Defence

Graeme Downie

Labour

Dunfermline and Dollar

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with international partners on the sale of Type 31 frigates.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The Ministry of Defence is actively supporting live and prospective export campaigns based on the Type 31 (with the export variant known as the Arrowhead 140) capability with support from the Department of Business and Trade. For example, the Secretary of State for Defence recently met his Polish counterpart where they discussed the Miecznik programme and its progress.

 

Warships: Construction

Question for Ministry of Defence

Graeme Downie

Labour

Dunfermline and Dollar

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) welders and (b) electricians required to complete surface warship construction.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The Ministry of Defence has regular engagement across all aspects of surface warship construction, including the skills required to support it. This Government recognises the vital role Defence, and its skilled workforce, play not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom.

The Strategic Defence Review will look at the approach to recruiting, educating, training and retaining the people needed across the whole of Defence, including industry.

 

Lasers

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of jobs created by Team Hersa.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

Since the creation of Team Hersa and Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Directed Energy Weapons Demonstrator Programme in 2020, the MOD estimate is that 49 jobs have been created.

 

Defence: Contracts

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has written to defence contractors to seek efficiency savings.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

Senior officials continue to engage with our strategic suppliers on how we can drive efficiency into our contracts and ensure we deliver the Defence programme affordably.

 

Ministry of Defence: Surrey Satellite Technology

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of supply chain jobs supported by his Department’s contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

It is estimated the current live Ministry of Defence contracts with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd to deliver TYCHE to orbit have supported approximately 100 jobs in the direct supply chain.

 

Satellites

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to continue its support for the Minerva satellite project.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The Ministry of Defence’s development of space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance continues with Minerva providing game-changing innovation and technology for this programme. The Strategic Defence Review will guide future capability development priorities, to ensure the United Kingdom is both secure at home and strong abroad – now and for the years to come.

 

Defence: Research

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he plans to spend on defence research and development in (a) this financial year and (b) the next four financial years.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

The Chancellor has confirmed a challenging in year deficit across all Departments. A spending review process is underway. Departmental spending plans will be set out in the usual way.

 

Global Combat Air Programme

Question for Ministry of Defence

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK-based jobs are (a) directly and (b) indirectly linked to the Global Combat Air Programme.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 19 September 2024

There are over 3,500 personnel working directly on Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in the UK across Ministry of Defence and our industry partners; BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK and MBDA UK.

These partners are supported by hundreds of organisations, including SMEs and academic institutions, spread across the UK. Major combat air industrial hubs in the north-west and south-west of England, and Edinburgh are supporting the development of the advanced skills base and industrial technologies right across the country.

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

A400M Aircraft

Question

Andrew Rosindell

Conservative

Romford

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Atlas A400M for meeting the military transport requirements of the Royal Air Force.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 22 August 2024

The Atlas has proven very capable in the Air Transport role. With superior range, speed and load capacity, the Atlas Force can deliver a variety of military equipment and vital spare parts.

The Atlas Force has also conducted rapid deployment of humanitarian aid relief to disaster hit regions and efficient evacuations of civilians from regions that had become unstable.

 

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Question

Andrew Bowie

Conservative

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help ensure better provision of mental health support for veterans.

 

Answer

Al Carns

Labour

Birmingham Selly Oak

Commons

Answered on 22 August 2024

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am leading work across Government and with Civil Society to look at the best ways to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. NHS England offers Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, which provides a broad range of specialist mental health and wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families. More information and contact details on Op COURAGE can be found here:

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/mental-health/veterans-reservists(opens in a new tab).

As health is devolved, I am also looking forward to working with counterparts in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments on this important issue.

 

Ammunition: Manufacturing Industries

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will have discussions with UK armaments manufacturers about the adequacy of the munitions stockpile.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 7 August 2024

Munitions stockpile levels and requirements are kept under constant review, balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology.

The Ministry of Defence is engaging closely with industry partners and developing a new Defence Industrial Strategy to ensure we have the industrial base we need to support our, and our allies’, requirements. The Government is committed to a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry to support innovation and resilience.

The Strategic Defence Review will determine the capabilities and reforms required by UK defence to meet the threats of the 21st century. The Government is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible.

 

Ammunition: Procurement

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the volume of his Department’s munitions orders from the UK armaments industry delivers a level of output that sustains warfighting levels of production over the Parliament.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 7 August 2024

Munitions stockpile levels and requirements are kept under constant review, balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology.

The Ministry of Defence is engaging closely with industry partners and developing a new Defence Industrial Strategy to ensure we have the industrial base we need to support our, and our allies’, requirements. The Government is committed to a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry to support innovation and resilience.

The Strategic Defence Review will determine the capabilities and reforms required by UK defence to meet the threats of the 21st century. The Government is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible.

 

Ammunition: Procurement

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has set targets for the replenishment of munitions stocks in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy, (c) the Royal Air Force and (d) Strategic Command.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 7 August 2024

Munitions stockpile levels and requirements are kept under constant review, balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology.

The Ministry of Defence is engaging closely with industry partners and developing a new Defence Industrial Strategy to ensure we have the industrial base we need to support our, and our allies’, requirements. The Government is committed to a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry to support innovation and resilience.

The Strategic Defence Review will determine the capabilities and reforms required by UK defence to meet the threats of the 21st century. The Government is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible.

 

Ammunition: Finance

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he plans to provide an additional £10bn of funding for munitions replenishment over the next ten years.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 7 August 2024

Munitions stockpile levels and requirements are kept under constant review, balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology.

The Ministry of Defence is engaging closely with industry partners and developing a new Defence Industrial Strategy to ensure we have the industrial base we need to support our, and our allies’, requirements. The Government is committed to a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry to support innovation and resilience.

The Strategic Defence Review will determine the capabilities and reforms required by UK defence to meet the threats of the 21st century. The Government is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible.

 

Armed Forces: Public Appointments

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how he plans to assess the performance of service chiefs two years after their appointment.

 

Answer

Al Carns

Labour

Birmingham Selly Oak

Commons

Answered on 6 August 2024

The Secretary of State for Defence, supported by the Permanent Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Staff, regularly takes stock of the performance of the Service Chiefs.

 

Ministry of Defence: Cost Effectiveness

Question

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to (a) implement and (b) cancel efficiency savings budgeted for by the previous Government for (i) his Department and (ii) departmental arm’s length bodies; and what plans she has for further such efficiency savings.

 

Answer

Maria Eagle

Labour

Liverpool Garston

Commons

Answered on 5 August 2024

Plans for future efficiency savings across the Department will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

 

Veterans: Homelessness

Question

Andrew Bowie

Conservative

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to reduce veteran homelessness.

 

Answer

Al Carns

Labour

Birmingham Selly Oak

Commons

Answered on 5 August 2024

The level of homelessness, including for our veterans, is too high.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working across Government to ensure veterans have access to the support they need on housing, as well as mental health, employment and other areas.

The Government will develop a new cross-Government strategy, working with Mayors and Councils across the country, to put Britain back on track to ending homelessness. The MOD will work with other departments to take a long term approach and to tackle the root causes of homelessness.

 

 

31 Jul 24. Nominations open for Defence Committee Chair. MPs have begun the process of electing the chair of the Defence Committee in the new Parliament. The Speaker announced the timetable for the elections on July 30. The period of nominations will run until 4pm on Monday 9 September with the ballot scheduled for Wednesday 11 September. The new Chair will be elected from the Labour party under the allocation of committee chairs to political parties which was agreed by the House on 30 July. Since 2010, most committee chairs have been elected by the whole House, by a system of alternative vote and by secret ballot. Nominations must contain a signed statement made by the candidate declaring willingness to stand, and must be accompanied by the following number of original signatures of Members elected to the House as members of the same party as the candidate:

Labour Party: 15 signatures

Conservative Party: 12 signatures

Liberal Democrats: 7 signatures

In the event that more than the required number of signatures are submitted from the same party as the candidate, only the required number will be printed.  Nominations may be accompanied by the signatures of up to five MPs elected to the House as members of any party other than to which the chair is allocated or of no party. Similarly, only five such signatures are printed.

Candidates must declare any relevant interests with their nomination.

Valid nominations received each day are published with the next day’s Order Paper and will be listed on the committee’s web page.

23 May 24. Findings of inquiry to address defence spending disparities for NI published. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has published the findings of its Defence Spending in Northern Ireland inquiry after the General Election was called. Just £190 per head is spent by the Ministry of Defence with Northern Ireland’s industry, compared with £5,930 in the South West of England. In a letter to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Committee Chair Sir Robert Buckland outlined key themes raised by witnesses that the Committee “felt were still important to draw” the Government’s attention to. Among them was the lack of engagement with and knowledge of Northern Ireland that, many suggested, could be fixed by establishing a regional hub of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). With 95% of Northern Ireland’s defence sector comprising small or medium enterprises, but the MoD mainly booking orders with defence giants – or primes – witnesses called out the need for “greater attention to the way primes engage with SMEs in Northern Ireland”. The introduction of a hub, they said, would improve understand of mutual opportunities for smaller companies and the MoD. Stakeholders were also in agreement that the use of the apprenticeship levy needs reform in Northern Ireland.

 

23 May 24. Chair Sir Jeremy Quin issues statement on the work of the Defence Committee. Chair of the Defence Committee, Sir Jeremy Quin MP, said: “The general election means that our work must come to an immediate conclusion.  As a result we will not be able to go ahead with the five reports we had been planning to publish between now and the end of July, on artificial intelligence, future aviation, the grey zone, service accommodation and women in the armed forces. It has been an enormous privilege to chair the committee over the past months. We have taken a constructive, cross-party approach to all the issues we have considered. I would like to thank not only my colleagues, but everyone who has contributed to our work, especially those individuals who have recounted their personal experiences of life in the armed forces. It will be for the new Defence Committee in the next Parliament to decide if they wish to take up our work. I hope that they will consider doing so very carefully. Our inquiries are all well advanced, and I know that there is significant interest in our findings from current and former service personnel and their families.”

 

 

 

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

Boxer Vehicles: Procurement

Question for Ministry of Defence

UIN 24618, tabled on 2 May 2024

John Healey

Labour

Wentworth and Dearne

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Boxer RCH 155 Self Propelled Howitzer will enter service with the Army.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 13 May 2024

RCH155 will be developed through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany. Working collaboratively on a joint assessment and qualification plan will exploit the combined capabilities of each nation’s test and trials centres enabling faster delivery at less cost. The certainty of platform choice also enables us to advance early acquisition of ammunition and other critical enablers in the assessment phase. Concurrently, we will continue to explore opportunities to accelerate delivery of RCH155 to the Army, where possible and in line with the new Integrated Procurement Model. The assessment phase of the programme will determine the most appropriate manufacturing approach and confirm the number of platforms required by the British Army. The Army aims to achieve a Mobile Fires Platform Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade. The joint programme is potentially worth upwards of £3 billion and marks a step change towards a deeper industrial and wider defence relationship between the UK and Germany.

 

Germany: Tanks

Show full question

Question for Ministry of Defence

Mr Ben Wallace

Conservative

Wyre and Preston North

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his German counterpart on ensuring that collaboration on the Boxer 155mm platform will not be subject to an export veto by the German (a) federal government and (b) parliament.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 15 May 2024

I have closely engaged with my German counterpart on the Boxer 155mm project, including consideration of future export prospects. The Prime Minister also discussed the project and the position on exports with Chancellor Scholz ahead of announcing the joint way ahead in Berlin on 24 April. Following the announcement, I also met with Secretary Zimmer in the Ministerial Equipment and Capability Cooperation(MECC) format on 8 May during which we discussed our plans to progress to the next stage of the programme.

 

Russia

Question for Ministry of Defence

Fabian Hamilton

Labour

Leeds North East

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Russia’s threat of a military response following the UK’s provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine.

 

Answer

Leo Docherty

Conservative

Aldershot

Commons

Answered on 15 May 2024

The UK provided long range, precision strike conventional weapons so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may better defend themselves in Ukraine. The granting of Storm Shadow was in response to Russia’s continued brutality and deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and it will help Ukraine restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow is the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has successfully put pressure on Russian forces. The UK, along with other allies, is providing a range of equipment to Ukraine to help it counter Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression, on the understanding that it will be used in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.

09 May 24. Grey Zone: Defence Committee to hold two evidence sessions.

Evidence Session (1): Defence in the Grey Zone

Monday 13 May at 15.30, The Thatcher Room

Watch live on Parliament TV

Evidence Session (2): Defence in the Grey Zone

Tuesday 14 May at 10.30, Committee Room 16

Watch live on Parliament TV

Next week the Defence Committee will hold two evidence session as part of its “Defence in the Grey Zone” inquiry.

The first session will take place on Monday 13 May at 15.30. The Committee will hear from James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber at NATO.

This session will explore NATO’s assessment of hybrid and grey zone threats. Questions are likely to explore how liberal democracies can counter threats from hostile states, asking whether these states – for example, Russia and China – pose different challenges and threats.

Jānis Garisons – former State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia between 2015 and 2024 – will give evidence in the second session, taking place on Tuesday 14 May at 10.30. This session is likely to explore Latvia’s concept of “Comprehensive National Defence”, asking what role militaries must play. The session may discuss international comparators and what the UK can learn from other nations.

Monday 13 May, 15.30:

• James Appathurai – Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber at NATO

Tuesday 14 May, 10.30:

• Jānis Garisons – Former State Secretary at Latvian Ministry of Defence

 

09 May 24. Defence Committee Chair reacts to latest report from Armed Forces’ Ombudsman. The Defence Committee Chair has reacted to the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces’ annual report, published today. Chair of the Defence Committee, Sir Jeremy Quin MP, said:  “Complaints should be treated as an opportunity to reflect and improve, all the more so when they come from people prepared to put their lives on the line for their country. I welcome the Ombudsman’s leadership over the past year in seeking improvements to the armed forces’ service complaints system, as well as in putting things right for individual service personnel otherwise failed by the system.  It is sobering that the Ombudsman has never yet judged the service complaints system to be efficient, effective or fair – but it is gratifying to see continued progress towards this goal. This progress must be maintained.  The Defence Committee will continue to focus on how the system is working in practice for the brave men and women we rely on to keep us safe.”

 

 

26 Apr 24. Defence Spending in Northern Ireland.

Wednesday 1 May 2024, 09.30, Committee Room 16

Watch live on Parliamentlive.tv

Representatives from Northern Ireland’s three largest employers in the defence and shipbuilding sector will be questioned by MPs on how to attract more defence spending to Northern Ireland.

MPs are likely to ask panelists from Thales, Harland & Wolff, and Spirit AeroSystems about opportunities for the Ministry of Defence to support NI firms and the challenges of securing the skills the defence and security sector needs.

Northern Ireland has one of the lowest defence procurement and services spend in the UK, at just £100 per head compared with £380 in Scotland.

Witnesses

• David McCourt, Director of Strategy, Thales;
• Ben Murray, Chief of Staff and Corporate Affairs, Harland & Wolff;
• Nick Laird, Director, European Space and Defence, Spirit AeroSystems.

 

23 Apr 24. Defence Committee reacts to PM’s announcement on defence spending. The Defence Committee has reacted to the Prime Minister’s announcement today that military spending would rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. Reacting to the announcement, Chair of the Defence Committee, Sir Jeremy Quin MP, said: “I welcome the Government’s commitment to spend more on defence. In this increasingly hostile and volatile world, we need to ensure the UK has a robust and unwavering means of deterring its adversaries. The Defence Committee has consistently advocated increased defence spending and for that spending to be strategic. It is welcome that the path to 2.5% of GDP is set out through yearly budget increases: this will increase confidence, helping to underpin industrial investment and the Defence Equipment Plan. To maximise its benefits procurement reform must be supported by cultural change across Government. This level of UK investment will help set a higher benchmark for other NATO partners as we enhance our collective security. In line with the recommendations in our ‘Ready for War?’ report, the focus on growing our munition stockpiles is to be welcomed, as is focussed investment in new technology and guaranteed long-term support to Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression.”

 

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

Trident Submarines: Procurement

Question for Ministry of Defence

Owen Thompson

Scottish National Party

Midlothian

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of Trident renewal in the period between 2023 and 2050; and what proportion this would be of total Government spending in that period.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 24 April 2024

As the replacement warhead programme is in its preliminary phases, it is too early to provide cost estimates for the programme. In the absence of these estimates, it is not possible to express deterrent renewal spend as a proportion of overall Government spending.

 

Ministry of Defence: General Dynamics

Question for Ministry of Defence

Mr Kevan Jones

Labour

North Durham

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department paid General Dynamics UK in 2023-24 for the Ajax programme.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 24 April 2024

Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 the Ministry of Defence paid General Dynamics UK £437m for the AJAX programme. All payments have been made in accordance with performance against the payment schedule and milestone plan within the extant fixed price contract. I am unable to publish the details of the milestones and payment schedule as this may prejudice the Department’s commercial interests.

 

18 Apr 24. First evidence session of Defence in the Grey Zone.

Evidence Session: Defence in the Grey Zone

Tuesday 23 April at 10.30, The Thatcher Room

Watch live on Parliament TV

On Tuesday 23 April, at 10.30, the Defence Committee will hold its first evidence session on Defence in the grey zone. This session will explore the threats and opportunities presented by the so-called grey zone and will examine how well UK Defence is operating in that arena.

Grey zone threats occur when a hostile power exploits a mix of diplomatic, information, military and economic levers. Examples include cyber threats and disinformation.

In this session, the Committee will hear from expert witnesses Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow the Atlantic Council, and Andrew Mumford, a professor of War Studies in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham.

The Committee will likely discuss the role of UK defence in addressing grey zone threats and what lessons can be learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The session will likely also explore grey zone capabilities, including cyber and the protection of critical national infrastructure.

10.30, Tuesday 23 April:

• Elisabeth Braw – Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
• Andrew Mumford – Professor of War Studies University of Nottingham; member of the EU/NATO Hybrid Threats Centre of Excellence

 

15 Apr 24. New select committee proposed to provide scrutiny of highly confidential spending. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today calls for the establishment of a new select committee, to consider sound financial practice and value for money in sensitive areas which are outside the remit of the statutory Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. In a report published today, the Committee cautions that there are a number of scrutiny gaps relating to sensitive Government expenditure. Two such areas are the defence nuclear enterprise and the UK’s Special Forces. The PAC warns that, extrapolating from government performance elsewhere, it is likely that there are problems with poor delivery or project performance which Parliament can neither see nor exercise positive influence over. The report recommends the new select committee be established as soon as possible, and before the dissolution of the current Parliament. It further recommends that the new committee, provided with the assistance of the National Audit Office, should have the specific remit of considering sound financial practice and value for money in some important but sensitive areas of expenditure outside the remit or practical working arrangements of the Defence Select Committee, Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy and the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “Parliament must no longer see through a glass darkly on whether value for money is being secured on confidential expenditure. There are of course sound reasons why certain areas of spending must be examined in a manner appropriate to their sensitivity. Such sensitivity is all the more reason why the processes around its scrutiny should be made robust. A new select committee would address the current gaps in how such matters are scrutinised, and the PAC would be pleased to work with the government to take this proposal forward.”

 

 

 

 

12 Apr 24. Lifting MoD spend on NI-made goods – MPs to take evidence from industry and experts

Evidence session

Defence Spending in Northern Ireland

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 09.30, Committee Room 15

Watch live on Parliamentlive.tv

MPs on the cross-party Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will hear evidence from Leslie Orr of the defence trade association ADS and security think tank RUSI’s Professor Trevor Taylor as it explores how to lift defence spending in Northern Ireland.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) spends a smaller sum per person on hardware and services from Northern Ireland than it does from almost anywhere else in the UK, £100 per head compared to Scotland’s £380. This is despite the presence of giants like Harland and Wolff, Thales, Spirit AeroSystems and many smaller firms which represent 95% of NI’s defence companies, according to written evidence from ADS. Just £2 million of MoD cash was spent on these SMEs in NI, compared with £1.4 billion UK-wide.

Meanwhile, RUSI have identified the defence industry as ‘providing opportunities in economically deprived areas’ for employment and training. Northern Ireland has historically had lower levels of employment and capital investment.

MPs will ask about the barriers to expansion of defence spending in Northern Ireland, the opportunities, and what policies would help to harness them.

Witnesses

• Leslie Orr, Director, ADS NI;
• Professor Trevor Taylor, Director of the Defence, Industries & Society Programme at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

 

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

Anti-satellite Weapons: Expenditure

Question for Ministry of Defence

Maria Eagle

Labour

Garston and Halewood

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on space integrated battlespace in each financial year since 2019-20.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 3 April 2024

The Space total spend on equipment costs by financial year is as follows:

FY Total spend (million)

2021-22     £8.511

2022-23    £13.786

The Space delivery team total spend on operating costs by financial year is as follows:

FY Total spend (million)

2021-22     £2.421

2022-23     £4.683

The Space team, which was stood up in March 2021, is a specific project team in DE&S and the figures above represent the total spend of that team. The figure does not represent the total spend on all space projects across Defence.

 

Chinook Helicopters

Question for Ministry of Defence

John Healey

Labour

Wentworth and Dearne

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Capability boost for UK’s global military operations as contract confirmed for new Chinooks, published on 14 March 2024, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the foreign exchange rate on the value of the contract for new Chinook helicopters.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 3 April 2024

The Foreign Military Sales agreement with the US Government is denominated in US dollars in common with all such cases. The forecasted cost of the programme is based on the most up to date exchange rate predictions from Defence Economics. The risk of future foreign exchange exposure will be mitigated by the Department’s use of forward purchasing arrangements.

 

Chinook Helicopters

Question for Ministry of Defence

John Healey

Labour

Wentworth and Dearne

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Capability boost for UK’s global military operations as contract confirmed for new Chinook, published by his Department on 14 March 2024, what the cost is of the 14 new Chinook helicopters.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 2 April 2024

The Chinook Extended Range Programme has an Approved Budgetary Level of £1.5 billion. Final costs will be subject to the conclusion of negotiations with the US Government and Boeing, and variance throughout the life of the programme in common with all FMS cases.

 

26 Mar 24. UK Defence Committee discerns MoD budget reduction in real terms. The UK Defence Committee maintained that the UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps “suffered massive defeat at the hands of the Treasury” in 2024/25 budget.

In a UK House of Commons Defence Committee hearing on 26 March 2024, the Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, was grilled over the seeming lack of funds allocated to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the recent budget announced earlier this month.

Scrutinising the year-on-year figures between 2023/24 and the forthcoming 2024/25 budgets in the so-called ‘Red Book’ – an analysis of the economy and a summary of the budget allocation – the Committee discerned a noticeable “reduction in real terms.”

Mark Francois, one of the more vociferous voices in the Committee, cited the Red Book noting the budget had fallen by around £2.5bn ($3.15bn).

This shortfall equates to the figure due to be spent on various forms of military support for Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces. The UK Government prides itself on being one of the largest contributors of Ukrainian aid after the US, having spent £12bn on Ukraine – £7.5bn of which was allocated to military assistance.

Francois argued that the £2.5bn that goes to Ukraine is not part of the UK Defence Budget “because you can’t spend the same pound twice.” If the MoD spends it on assistance to Ukraine, it cannot then also spend it on army salaries or submarine maintenance.

“So what you’ve done is you’ve suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the Treasury,” he told Shapps. “You’ve had your budget cut by £2.5bn and you’re now trying to play smoke and mirrors with Ukrainian money to pretend that your budget hasn’t been cut, when it’s been slashed.”

While the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt maintained the UK’s commitment to Ukraine in the Budget, which was welcomed by defence industry observers, there is concern that the UK Armed Forces are coming up short.

Contrary to this apparent shortfall, Shapps noted that the budget for the forthcoming year was nominal – that the figure did not account for supplemental money that had been accounted for in the previous year.

“The reason why those numbers come out as misleading is simply because the previous year’s figures… includes the supplemental, the next year… doesn’t produce the supplemental. The argument is simple: you either have to include it entirely or you don’t include it entirely.”

According to Nato’s account of its members’ defence expenditures between 2014 and 2023, the alliance accounted a -4.12% setback in the UK’s annual real change percentage in 2023 – the lowest figure in that period.

Since much of the UK defence spending is international, the MoD takes a larger hit than most departments when the cost to import rises.

Equally, UK defence companies became more attractive as producers when the value of the pound dropped. This would prompt these companies to hike their prices slightly to cover the increased cost of importing subsystems.

 

26 Mar 24. Lords’ defence committee hears lessons for UK from war in Ukraine. Lord Ashton, Chair of the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee, details an ongoing inquiry into lessons from Ukraine.

Army Technology interviewed Lord Ashton, Chair of the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee (IRDC), to discuss the committee’s latest inquiry, one that examines the lessons learned in the war in Ukraine and their implications on UK defence and procurement.

It is the intention of the IRDC to complete the inquiry by the end of June, with the possibility for a follow-up inquiry before the end of 2024, says Lord Ashton, in the event of a late General Election

According to evidence already delivered in oral sessions, the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the potential for conventional warfare in Europe, leading to a reassessment of the threat posed by Russia and the need to enhance deterrence measures, and underscoring the importance of resilience and preparedness in the face of hybrid threats, including cyber warfare and disinformation campaigns.

The conflict has raised questions about resource allocation within the defence budget, with discussions on reprioritising spending to address new and emerging security threats.

Lord Ashton reflected on Russia’s spending 6% of GDP, 30% of its federal budget, on defence. “It’s a massive change, and of course, that will have huge implications for Russia, in future, but it’s moving to a wartime economy.

“I don’t want to draw any conclusions yet, because one of the things we try and do is write our reports based on the evidence we hear rather than preconceived opinions, but I can’t help feeling that you underestimate Russian resilience at your peril.

“And we see that historically, but they’re also moving much more quickly than we are to a wartime economy,” said Ashton, after remarking that the UK is spending 2.2% of GDP and 5% of its national budget on defence expenditure.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the need for the UK to adapt its defence strategies to counter hybrid warfare tactics employed by adversaries, including a focus on cyber resilience and unconventional threats. Significant attention was paid by the IRDC to the employment of drone technology in Ukraine for these purposes.

“Drones are new, in many ways, and in their uses there have been a lot of innovations, but they aren’t the be-all-and-end-all, they’re not a magic bullet, and they’re complimentary with more traditional equipment,” said Lord Ashton. “So for example, you still need ordinary artillery – drones alone won’t work. Secondly, they’re not necessarily the cheap option that everyone might think they are, because they constantly need to be upgraded to cope with the electronic warfare element, so you need a lot of R&D behind them to make them effective.”

The committee also heard evidence that UK has been prompted to review its strategic defence planning to address emerging challenges and align defence priorities with national security interests. The conflict has emphasised the critical role of intelligence capabilities and information sharing in anticipating and countering potential threats, leading to calls for improvements in this area.

“It’s very difficult to be offensive nowadays because the battlefield is much more transparent. It’s very difficult to concentrate your forces to make an attack because a whole load of drones appear out of the sky because everyone knows where you are the whole time.

“The sensing technology against your electronic communications is much increased, so you have to be very careful about your communications. That always used to be [a] benefit to us, in the sense that our training for junior officers and junior NCOs gave them much more power in decision making than the Soviet forces. I don’t know if that is still true. I suspect it is actually.“ (Source: army-technology.com)

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

Defence Equipment: Procurement

Question for Ministry of Defence

Martin Docherty-Hughes

Scottish National Party

West Dunbartonshire

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the First Report of the Defence Committee, Ready for War?, HC 26, the Eighth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Improving Defence Inventory Management, HC 66, and the Nineteenth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, MoD Equipment Plan 2023-33, HC 451.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 21 March 2024

We welcome each of the reports on our Armed Forces Readiness, Inventory Management and the Equipment Plan. We are in the process of reviewing all the recommendations and formulating our responses to the reports.

 

NATO

Question for Ministry of Defence

Stephen Morgan

Labour

Portsmouth South

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK meets its obligations to NATO.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 21 March 2024

The UK continues to be a leading ally in NATO. We contribute to every NATO mission and offer the full spectrum of our defence capabilities to the Alliance. We meet NATO’s Defence Investment Pledge to invest at least 2% of GDP on defence, and have done so in every year since 2006.

 

Naval Ships Delivery Group: Finance

Question for Ministry of Defence

Maria Eagle

Labour

Garston and Halewood

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual budget was for the Naval Ships Delivery Group in each year since 2019.

 

Answer

James Cartlidge

Conservative

South Suffolk

Commons

Answered on 20 March 2024

The Naval Ships Delivery Group was formed in 2020 as a part of the wider Ship Acquisition Directorate and has no separate centrally recorded budget. For these reasons the requested information is not held for any year prior to 2020, while for that and subsequent years it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

 

Ukraine: Military Aid

Question for Ministry of Defence

Drew Hendry

Scottish National Party

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on joining Czechia’s artillery ammunition purchasing initiative to help support Ukraine.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 20 March 2024

The Secretary of State regularly holds discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on the war in Ukraine and how we can continue to best support Ukraine going forward. As a NATO ally, we also engage directly with Czechia on matters of international security.

The UK remains fully engaged with the international capability coalitions and numerous other partners to understand where further opportunities may exist to increase our support to Ukraine. To date the UK has provided over 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, and has committed to delivering tens of thousands more this financial year (FY), and a further investment of £245 million on artillery ammunition in FY 2024-25.

 

Hybrid Warfare

Question for Ministry of Defence

Stephen Doughty

Labour

Cardiff South and Penarth

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help improve the UK’s (a) awareness of and (b) responses to hybrid threats.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 20 March 2024

State or hybrid threats prevent a real and evolving risk to the UK which can manifest in a wide range of forms. The activities of Ministry of Defence to counter state threats are fully integrated with HMG’s overall approach, which is co-ordinated by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office. The Ministry of Defence is investing significant time, resources and personnel to improve our capacity and capability to respond. We are enhancing integration across Defence and wider Government, as well as with allies, partners, and industry to respond to these threats effectively. We will continue to improve our understanding of current and potential threats, learn and share lessons in combatting them, and identify areas for cooperation, deconfliction and burden-sharing.

15 Mar 24. MOD to face questions on the UK’s defence AI capabilities. Evidence Session: Sub-Committee on Developing AI Capacity and Expertise in UK Defence

Tuesday 19 March at 14.30, CR8

At 14.30, on Tuesday 19 March, the Sub-Committee on Defence AI will question James Cartilidge MP, the Minister for Defence Procurement, about the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy and implementation.

The Sub-Committee will also hear from Paul Lincoln, Second Permanent Secretary at the MOD and Lieutenant-general Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of the UK Strategic Command.

The Sub-Committee is likely to discuss how the MOD and the UK’s Defence AI sector can keep up with the fast-pace of developments in AI. Members are likely to ask questions about Defence systems becoming increasingly AI-enabled and how MOD’s approach to procuring equipment needs to change as a result. The session is likely to explore AUKUS and the development of interoperable AI.

14.30, Tuesday 19 March:

 

• James Cartlidge MP – Minister for Defence Procurement
• Paul Lincoln CB OBE VR – Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
• Lt Gen. Tom Copinger-Symes CBE – Deputy Commander, UK Strategic Command

 

15 Mar 24. Evidence Session: The Work of the Ministry of Defence

Tuesday 26 March at 15.15, Room TBC

Watch live on Parliament TV

At 15.15 on Tuesday 26 March, the Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, will face questions from the Defence Committee on defence spending and the recent Spring Budget.

The Committee is likely to question the Secretary of State about the readiness of the UK’s Armed Forces to meet growing security threats, in light of his comment that the UK is moving from a ‘post-war’ to a ‘pre-war’ world. The Committee will examine whether the Ministry of Defence’s budget allocation in last week’s Spring Budget is sufficient in this context.

Chair of the Defence Committee, Sir Jeremy Quin MP, said:  “We look forward to discussing the current trajectory for investment in our Armed Forces. This is in the context of the Committee’s recent report ‘Ready for War?’ and the Defence Secretary’s concern that we are in a ‘pre-war’ world.”

15.15, Tuesday 26 March:

• The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP – Secretary of State for Defence

 

15 Mar 24. Evidence Session: The Work of the Ministry of Defence.

Tuesday 26 March at 15.15, Room TBC

At 15.15 on Tuesday 26 March, the Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, will face questions from the Defence Committee on defence spending and the recent Spring Budget.

The Committee is likely to question the Secretary of State about the readiness of the UK’s Armed Forces to meet growing security threats, in light of his comment that the UK is moving from a ‘post-war’ to a ‘pre-war’ world. The Committee will examine whether the Ministry of Defence’s budget allocation in last week’s Spring Budget is sufficient in this context.

Chair of the Defence Committee, Sir Jeremy Quin MP, said:  “We look forward to discussing the current trajectory for investment in our Armed Forces. This is in the context of the Committee’s recent report ‘Ready for War?’ and the Defence Secretary’s concern that we are in a ‘pre-war’ world.”

15.15, Tuesday 26 March:

• The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP – Secretary of State for Defence

 

14 Mar 24. UK defence: House of Commons to hold debate on Select Committee reports. The House of Commons will hold a debate on Thursday 21st March around three reports on UK defence published recently by the Defence and Public Accounts Committees (PAC).
The three reports address concerns around the UK’s military readiness and capabilities. The debate will be an opportunity for Members of the House of Commons to explore the reports’ recommendations and conclusions.
The Defence Committee’s report, Ready for War?, found that overstretch has negatively impacted high intensity warfighting readiness due to the number of operations and other commitments the Armed Forces are tasked with. The Committee voiced concern over the crisis in recruitment and retention, slow procurement processes and the resultant stockpile shortages.
Following the Spring Budget last week, the Defence Committee commented that the Defence Secretary’s assessment that the UK is in a “Pre-War” state “does not appear to be reflected in his Department’s Budget allocation”.
The most recent of the PAC’s reports into the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Equipment Plan found that there is no credible Government plan to deliver its desired military capabilities. The report comes in the context of the largest deficit ever (£16.9bn) between the MoD’s budget and its military capability requirements.
The PAC’s January 2024 report found that the MoD did not have the powers needed to deal with the fragmentation of its inventory management, noting that significant risks were caused for front-line armed forces by MoD inventory failures.

 

13 Mar 24. Defence Committee publishes Grey Zone written evidence. The Defence Committee today publishes written evidence received as part of its inquiry into Defence in the Grey Zone.
‘Grey zone’ is a term often used to describe hostile actions that fall between traditional international statecraft and armed conflict. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses a similar term ‘state threats’ and describes these as: “…overt or covert actions by foreign governments which fall short of direct armed conflict with the UK but go beyond peaceful diplomacy and expected statecraft to harm or threaten the safety or interests of the UK or our allies.”
The evidence includes submissions from experts from RAND Europe, as well as academics from the University of Nottingham and the University of Reading. Industry experts from Adarga and SubSea Craft have also contributed evidence.
The MOD’s submission says the Department aims to “foster a truly integrated approach to deterrence and defence” and outlines each of the Services’ capabilities in countering state threats or grey zone activities. The evidence says that “the Prime Minister is ultimately responsible for HMG’s approach to countering state threats”.
The submission states the importance of utilising “our extraordinary international relationships; our historical position as a global leader on security, including our position on the UN Security Council; our position within NATO; and our world-leading institutions such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst”.
It discusses how liberal democracies can operate effectively in the grey zone, saying that “other Governments may allow themselves to be less constrained in their actions”. It states that “Russia’s activity and capability development – which spans conventional, nuclear, and novel military technology, state-sponsored disinformation outlets, offensive cyber, hostile activity by intelligence services, chemical weapons, and threats to undersea infrastructure – continues to pose a threat to UK and partner interests”. The evidence explains that Russia seeks “to gain an advantage across the spectrum from competition to conflict”, and that “while Russia’s failures in Ukraine have significantly weakened its land and guided-weapon capabilities, it retains capable nuclear and strategic forces, and has the intent and capacity to rebuild and regenerate”.
The Defence Committee intends to begin its oral evidence sessions on Defence in the Grey Zone following the Easter recess.

 

House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers

 

AWACS: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the delivery date for the first E-7 Wedgetail aircraft is as of 11 March 2024.

 

Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons

Answered on 14 March 2024

The Wedgetail Full Business Case is planned for submission in March 2024, and an approval is expected from the Ministry of Defence in late 2024. The Wedgetail aircraft will commence flying for early stages of testing in 2024, with delivery into service with the RAF in autumn 2025.

 

AWACS: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned date is for the first flight of the Royal Air Force’s first E-7 Wedgetail aircraft.

 

Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 14 March 2024

The Wedgetail Full Business Case is planned for submission in March 2024, and an approval is expected from the Ministry of Defence in late 2024. The Wedgetail aircraft will commence flying for early stages of testing in 2024, with delivery into service with the RAF in autumn 2025.

 

Ministry of Defence: Contracts
Question for Ministry of Defence
Sarah Atherton
Conservative
Wrexham
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the adequacy of the delivery of contracts by external providers.

 

Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 14 March 2024
The proactive monitoring, control and management of external providers is undertaken throughout the lifecycle of Defence contracts primarily by the Department’s Commercial and Project Management officials.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Partnering Programme has built long-term relationships and has increased collaboration with many of our largest suppliers to work together to address any major performance issues.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Question for Ministry of Defence

John Healey

Labour

Wentworth and Dearne

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK to boost Ukraine’s artillery reserves with £245 million munitions package, published on 24 February 2024, when he plans to deliver the first artillery shells under this effort.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 5 March 2024

The first deliveries of the UK’s £245 million munitions package for Ukraine, announced on 24 February 2024, will take place in the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year.

 

Middle East: International Law

Question for Ministry of Defence

Zarah Sultana

Labour

Coventry South

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2024 to Question 9950 on Yemen: Military Intervention and to the Answer of 20 February 2024 to Question 13836 on Gaza: Israel, for what reason his Department maintains a tracker database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia in Yemen but does not maintain a comparable database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in Gaza.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 6 March 2024

The Ministry of Defence’s “tracker” listing alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations during the Saudi Led Coalition’s Air Campaign in Yemen, does not cover the actions of the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza. The UK Government continues to assess Israel’s commitment and capability to comply with International Humanitarian Law. Those assessments are supported by a detailed evidence base, including analysis of the conflict, reporting from NGOs, international bodies and partner countries, statements and reports by the Israeli Government and military representatives and Israel’s track record of compliance.

 

Czechia: Ammunition

Question for Ministry of Defence

Sarah Green

Liberal Democrat

Chesham and Amersham

Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his Czech counterpart on that country’s initiative to procure artillery ammunition for Ukraine.

 

Answer

James Heappey

Conservative

Wells

Commons

Answered on 6 March 2024

The UK and Czechia are closely coordinated in providing military equipment to Ukraine. UK officials are in contact with Czech colleagues on their latest proposal concerning artillery procurement, while continuing UK-led artillery ammunition procurement initiatives.