25 Nov 09. Defence Committee Select Committee Announcement. The Defence Committee can now confirm the following witnesses will give evidence on Tuesday 8 December 2009, 10.30 am, Grimond Room, Portcullis House (room subject to change).
At 10.30 am
* Brian Burridge, Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Finmeccanica UK Limited
* Bob Keen, Head of Government Relations, BAE Systems PLC
* Dr Sandy Wilson, President and Managing Director, General Dynamics UK Limited
* Ian Godden, Secretary to the Defence Industries Council & Chairman of ADS Group Limited.
19 Nov 09. Iraq Inquiry: Public Hearings. Further details were released (19 Nov 09) about the Inquiry’s public hearings, which start on 24 Nov 09 at the QE II Conference Centre. Over 100 seats will be available for those who want to watch the hearings, around 60 of which will be in the main hearing room. Public access to the Inquiry will be on a first come, first served basis.
Comment: Hearing timetables are due to be published on the Inquiry’s website a week in advance. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to look at the Hearings section of the website (www.iraqinquiry.org.uk) for further details. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/44, 23 Nov 09)
19 Nov 09. Defence Committee: Evidence from Defence Secretary. The postponed evidence session with the Defence Secretary is now due to start at 10.30hrs on 24 Nov 09 in Committee Room 8 in the Palace of Westminster. (Note change of room.) (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/44, 23 Nov 09)
20 Nov 09. Cluster Munitions: Legislation. The Queen’s Speech (Item 1) included the statement that: “Legislation will be brought forward to ban cluster munitions.”. The Foreign and Defence Secretaries announced (20 Nov 09) that new legislation covering the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions had been published as The Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill. The Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 19 Nov 09.
Comment: The Convention on Cluster Munitions was originally signed in Oslo on 3 Dec 08. To date, 103 countries have signed the Convention and 24 have ratified. The Convention enters into force six months after the 30th country has ratified. The UK’s last cluster munitions were withdrawn from service in May 2008 and it is planned for all stocks to be destroyed by 31 Dec 13. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/44, 23 Nov 09)
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Nov 2009
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles of each type were classified as (a) in service, (b) fit for purpose and (c) not in service on the latest date for which figures are available. [301595]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The numbers of armoured vehicles of each type classified as ‘in service’, ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘out of service’ are provided in the following table.
Significant quantities of Mastiff, Vector, Bulldog and Snatch are currently in the process of withdrawal to the UK following the cessation of operations in Iraq.
Vehicle In service Fit for purpose Out of service
AS90 145 132 0
Challenger 234 526 140
CRARRV 81 70 0
CVR(T) 1,052 928 116
FV 430
(Mk2 and
Bulldog) 1,110 658 290
Fuchs 11 11 0
Saxon 147 147 0
Titan 33 24 0
Trojan 33 25 0
Warrior 793 552 0
Mastiff 271 134 0
Panther 401 334 0
Ridgback 118 73 0
Snatch 2
(including
variants) 653 358 0
Vector 192 87 0
Viking 116 86 0