21 Jan 15. Foreign Affairs Committee. Committee asks Sir John Chilcot to give oral evidence to delays in Iraq Report. The Foreign Affairs Committee wrote to Sir John Chilcot yesterday, to request that he give oral evidence on the preparation of his report and on the obstacles which remain before he can submit it to the Prime Minister. The Committee is now publishing that letter.
House of Commons and Lords Hansard Written Answers
Asked by Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East)
Asked on: 14 January 2015
Ministry of Defence
NATO
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Answer of 12 January 2015 to Question 219725, which UK officials will attend the MQ-9 Users Group meeting.
Answered by: Mr Mark Francois
Answered on: 21 January 2015
Five members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) will attend the MQ-9 Users Group meeting in Paris in January 2015. The party will be made up of representatives from the RAF’s ISTAR HQ, which is located at RAF Waddington, HQ Air Command and the Air Staff.
Asked by Lord Luce
Asked on: 07 January 2015
Ministry of Defence
Bahrain
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the nature and purpose of the new agreement with Bahrain in relation to the naval base at Mina Salman.
Answered by: Lord Astor of Hever
Answered on: 20 January 2015
The Ministry of Defence has had a Naval Base in Bahrain since the 1950s. The new arrangement will enhance the naval and logistics facilities that support our operations in the Gulf. The agreement (signed in December 2014) reaffirms the UK’s and Bahrain’s joint determination to maintain regional security and stability in the face of enduring and emerging regional challenges.
Asked by Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
Asked on: 12 January 2015
Ministry of Defence
Military Aircraft
220423
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to invest in the upgrade of the A400M aircraft for use in special operations; what lessons his Department learned from the time taken to upgrade the C130J aircraft for that role in terms of (a) foregone capability and (b) increased costs; what estimate he has made of the (i) ability of the A400M to withstand an attack in comparison with the C130J and (ii) comparative cost of keeping the C130J in service for this role and introducing an upgraded A400M; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by: Mr Philip Dunne
Answered on: 20 January 2015
The A400M is planned to replace the C130J. The Department is currently considering upgrade requirements for the use of A400M across the span of operations. It is the policy of the Government not to comment on Special Forces matters.
Asked by Angus Robertson (Moray)
Asked on: 14 January 2015
Ministry of Defence
European Fighter Aircraft
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chief of the Air Staff on transferring responsibility for the risk of Typhoon mid air collision to that role.
Answered by: Mr Mark Francois
Answered on: 20 January 2015
In line with Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Regulatory Articles, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) briefed the Secretary of State in October 2014 that the Typhoon mid-air collision risk with commercial air transport aircraft had been elevated to CAS since June 2014.
Asked by Angus Robertson (Moray)
Asked on: 14 January 2015
Ministry of Defence
European Fighter Aircraft
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 7 of Director General, Military Aviation Authority, Air Safety Annual Report, August 2013-August 2014, published in January 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications of the conclusions of that report on his policy on mitigating mid-air collisions; and if he will require a full Airborne Collision Avoidance System to be fitted in all operational Typhoon aircraft.
Answered by: Mr Mark Francois
Answered on: 20 January 2015
Mid-air collision remains the top ai