04 Mar 12. Parliament: State Opening. HM The Queen is to open a new session of Parliament on Wed 9 May 12. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 12/10, 05 Mar 12)
01 Mar 12. Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. FIRST The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy will be publishing a report First review of the National Security Strategy 2010 at 00.01 hrs on Thursday 8 March. This will be the Committee’s First Report of Session 2010-12 (HL 265/HC 1384). The report is available on the Committee’s website, http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/joint-select/national-security-strategy/, on Thursday 8 March and copies may be purchased from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2JX) on the day of release.
27 Feb 12. The Defence Committee regards the Government’s Response to its Report on the Armed Forces Covenant: Military Casualties as disappointing. In its original Report, the Committee commended the medical treatment and rehabilitation services provided to injured personnel but found some areas for improvement. In its response, the MoD has not given sufficient regard to the Committee’s recommendations to address these areas. The Committee was surprised that the MoD is not prepared to review the support it offers to families of Armed Forces personnel, in particular, to families of deployed personnel and to those families where a member of the Armed Forces has been killed on operations or been severely injured. The Committee reiterates its view that the MoD must look at the support it provides for families and must, at a bare minimum, look at what it is doing to support the children of injured personnel. (Recommendations 10 and 14) The Committee welcomes the MoD’s intention to review its policy towards alcohol and measures to promote responsible drinking. It looks forward to seeing the results of this policy review. (Recommendation 11) The MoD acknowledges that there are significant challenges associated with the care of those with serious brain injuries and that there are links between brain injuries and depression and suicide. The MoD has not agreed to commission a review into the needs of ex-Service personnel with brain injuries – the Committee believes it should reconsider its decision. (Recommendation 25) Chair of the Defence Committee, Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP, says, “The medical care and rehabilitation provided to injured Armed Forces personnel is excellent. However, we remain concerned about the long-term support of people once they leave the Armed Forces, in particular, of those with traumatic brain injuries. We are also disappointed that the MoD does not intend to review its support to the families of deployed and injured personnel.”
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for Tuesday 28 February 2012
Apache Helicopters
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters are based in Afghanistan. [97154]
Mr Gerald Howarth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters there are in the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Marines. [97155]
Mr Gerald Howarth: None. All Apache helicopters are Army assets. However, some Apache helicopters are flown by aircrew from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, as part of a longstanding tri-service exchange programme.
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons systems are used by the Apache helicopter. [97162]
Mr Gerald Howarth: The Apache AH Mk1 weapons systems are 30mm Automatic Cannon, wing mounted 70mm Ariel Rocket and Hellfire Modular Missile Systems. The Apache is capable of carrying any combination of these pylon-mounted rockets and/or missiles.
The Apache AH Mk1 factsheet, is available on the Ministry of Defence website at: http://www.