19 Oct 11. Armoured Vehicles: Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC is to take evidence on The Procurement of Armoured Vehicles for the Army from the Permanent Under Secretary and Senior Officials on 24 Oct 11 at 15.15hrs in Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster.
Comment: The National Audit Office has concluded that the suspension and cancellation of a number of key armoured vehicle projects has resulted in the Armed Forces facing a significant shortage of the vehicles they require until at least 2024. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/41, 24 Oct 11)
18 Oct 11. Brazil: Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) Report. The FAC published (18 Oct 11) a Report on UK-Brazil Relations. The Report includes a Chapter on The Falklands Islands, which covers the refusal of permission for HMS CLYDE to dock in Rio de Janeiro during January 2011.
Comment: The Report is of interest for matters which have been omitted, as well as those which it includes. The Defence Co-operation Treaty (14 Sep 10), the successful visit by HMS OCEAN, the Naval Joint Guidance document and BAE Systems recent activities all fail to get a mention in the Report. The Report is published as HC 949, for £15:50. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/41, 24 Oct 11)
19 Oct 11. Defence Debates: Procurement and Exports. The House of Commons debated MoD (Procurement) on 19 Oct 11 and Arms Export Controls on 20 Oct 11. The Procurement debate mainly concentrated on the British Army Training Unit at Suffield (BATUS) and the replacement for the Trident weapon system. The Export debate covered licensing, Sri Lanka, the arms trade and a range of familiar topics.
Comment: With the possible exception of those interested in the MoD arrangements for BATUS, there will be few who will wish to trawl through the record of these debates. The Procurement debate starts in Hansard
(19 Oct 11) at Column 295WH, with the Ministerial summing up at Column 312WH. The Export debate starts(20 Oct 11) at Column 337WH, with Ministerial comments at Column 360WH. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/41, 24 Oct 11)
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Oct 2011
Adam Werritty
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has issued a security pass to Mr Adam Werritty.
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 18 October 2011]: Mr Werritty has not been issued with a Ministry of Defence Main Building security pass. On the occasions of his visits to the building he was signed in on a visitor’s pass in accordance with extant procedures.
Air Force: Military Bases
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 76W, on Air Force: military bases, on what dates he discussed the RAF basing review with the Scottish Government; and if he will place in the Library the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each discussion.
Nick Harvey [holding answer 17 October 2011]: The First Minister of Scotland (Alex Salmond MSP), and the previous Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), held two face to face meetings, on 11 January and 26 May 2011. These meetings took place when they were both in London and Glasgow respectively, and were not minuted. As part of their regular liaison they also had a number of telephone conversations during the period in which the review of basing took place. They will have discussed a range of issues, including basing.
Consultancy Firms: Security
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security restrictions have been placed on employees of consultancy firms based outside the UK engaged by his Department who are (a) non-UK citizens and (b) UK citizens.
Peter Luff: Appropriate security controls are applied to all Ministry of Defence contractors, including consultancy firms, engaged on classified Defence contracts. These are based on the level of protectively mar