PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
21 April 2008. Defence Select Committee Evidence Session
Recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces
Tuesday 22 April 2008
At 10.30 am in the Grimond room, Portcullis House (room subject to change), oral evidence was taken from:
Ministry of Defence:
Chris Baker OBE, Director General of Service Personnel Policy
Rear Admiral Charles Montgomery CBE, Naval Secretary, Chief of Staff (Personnel)
Major General Andrew Gregory, Deputy Adjutant General and Director General Service Conditions (Army)
Air Vice Marshal Simon Bryant CBE, Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary
Major General Simon Lalor TD, Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets)
Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CVO, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel)
Apr 08. Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC): Scrutiny of Appointment. The FAC held a Scrutiny of Appointment hearing at 14.30hrs on 23 Apr 08 in the Grimond Room, Portcullis House. The Committee is to take evidence from the Rt Hon J McConnell MSP, following the announcement that he has been nominated by the Prime Minister as the next High Commissioner to Malawi.
Comment: The FAC has decided “to conduct scrutiny of the appointment of individuals outside the Diplomatic Service to Senior Diplomatic Posts”. The present Administration has no qualms about nominating ‘awkward’ politicians to such posts and thus denying career diplomats some of the better appointments. The current High Commissioners to Australia and South Africa both came from the Labour Party ranks. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0816, 22 Apr 08)
Lords Hansard
Written Answers Monday 21 April 2008
Armed Forces: Bowman
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty’s Government: What progress has been made in developing solutions to facilitate data exchange between Bowman and other NATO digitisation systems as part of the Ministry of Defence’s command and battlespace management capability release. [HL2834]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): Improvements to connectivity with NATO systems are being addressed as part of the planned uplift to the capability of the Bowman CIP system to BCIP 5, which is currently under way.
Armed Forces: Centre for Defence Enterprise
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty’s Government: When the planned pilot Centre for Defence Enterprise on the Harwell campus will be established and operational. [HL2894]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): A formal opening of the Centre for Defence Enterprise is planned for May.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty’s Government: How the planned pilot Centre for Defence Enterprise on the Harwell campus will be staffed and managed. [HL2895]
Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) will be staffed by a team of initially three, based on site at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire. The team is part of the MoD Defence Technology and Innovation Centre, based at Shrivenham, which is itself part of the MoD Science Innovation Technology Top Level Budget area.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty’s Government: How the planned pilot Centre for Defence Enterprise on the Harwell campus will relate to the work of the Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratories.[HL2930]
Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (Dstl) is the MoD’s primary source of internal scientific and technical advice and will play a key role in the Centre for Defence Enterprise activity. Dstl will support assessment of research proposals and work with proposers to maximise exploitation opportunities within defence.
Armed Forces: Chemical Weapons
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government: Whether they will propose that the role of incapacitating biochemical weapons in military operations and law enforcement be discussed at the Chemical Weapons