Ministry of Defence: Intellectual Property
Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 178862, tabled on 12 April 2021
Question
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Intellectual Property technologies have been made available to the private sector through (a) Ploughshare Innovations and (b) Easy Access IP in the last five years.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 15 April 2021
Over the last five years Ploughshare Innovations have available 102 separate technologies commercially and of these Ploughshare have successfully licensed 28 to industry, either in the form of a spin-out company, option licence or licence agreement. With respect to Easy Access IP, over the last five years 22 technologies have been made available via the Dstl Easy Access IP website and four of these have been successfully licensed to Industry.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 178866, tabled on 12 April 2021
Question
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the in-service date of Ajax armoured vehicles.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 15 April 2021
The Army currently plans on an AJAX Initial Operating Capability of 30 Jun 2021.
Mali: Peacekeeping Operations
Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 179558, tabled on 12 April 2021
Question
Chris Loder
Conservative
West Dorset
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the purpose is of the operations undertaken by the Light Dragoons Regiment in Mali.
Answer
James Heappey
Conservative
Wells
Commons
Answered on 15 April 2021
UK Armed Forces, led by the Light Dragoons, joined the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, in December 2020. UK troops are fulfilling tasks mandated by the UN Security Council as a unit under UN command. In response to the Mission’s capability requirements, the UK task group is delivering a specialist reconnaissance capability for MINUSMA, improving the mission’s situational awareness and overall performance, particularly its ability to protect civilians. The UK contingent is enabling intelligence-led operations in support of the mission’s mandate, offering crucial support to the mission to better understand threats and to shape the mission’s response. The UK deployment to MINUSMA reflects our continued commitment to, and leadership in, multilateralism, and international peace and security. It also forms part of HMG’s wider efforts in Mali and the Sahel, alongside diplomatic and development activity in support of regional stability.
Answered by
Rifles Regiment
Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 179557, tabled on 12 April 2021
Question
Chris Loder
Conservative
West Dorset
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, what plans he has for The Rifles, the successor regiment of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.
James Heappey
Conservative
Wells
Commons
Answered on
15 April 2021
The Secretary of State set out his vision for the Armed Forces when he launched the Defence Command Paper “Defence in a Competitive Age” on 22 March 2021. As he made clear, a transformation such as this requires significant reorganisation of force structures.
The Army will therefore in the next several months refine and test the designs, capabilities and structure of Army units before more detailed announcements can be made. Future announcements will include the Reserve Forces 2030 review, which builds on the work already done on utilising our reserves to make sure the whole force is better integrated and more productive.
I can however in the interim confirm that, as the Defence Secretary said, 4th Battalion The Rifles, currently a Specialised Infantry Battalion, will be one of the four battalions which seeds the new Ranger Regiment, carrying through its historic character and ethos to the benefit of the new unit.
A400M Aircraft
Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 180420, tabled on 13 April 2021
Question
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the RAF’s A400M is capable of supporting special forces parachute operations.
Answer
James Heappey
Conservative
Wells
Commons
Answered on 15 April 2021
It has been the longstanding position of successive Governments not to comment on the capabilities of the UK special forces, as to do so would put personnel and operations at risk.