House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Q
Asked by Jim Shannon
(Strangford)
Asked on: 10 February 2016
Ministry of Defence
Electronic Warfare
26767
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what programmes his Department is developing relating to cyber defence.
A
Answered by: Penny Mordaunt
Answered on: 24 February 2016
The Defence Cyber Programme delivers cyber defence activities for Defence as a whole. It incorporates the following strands:
Defensive cyber;
People and training;
Information and intelligence;
Strategic direction;
Offensive cyber.
Further to this, each single Service has their own cyber transformation programme within which they are undertaking projects to understand and meet defensive cyber requirements specific to each Service.
Q
Asked by David Simpson
(Upper Bann)
Asked on: 11 February 2016
Ministry of Defence
Radioactive Materials: Transport
27164
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) physical state, (b) mass quantity and (c) total radiological quantity in Becquerels was of Defence Nuclear Materials transported or carried by fixed wing aircraft or helicopter in the last five years.
A
Answered by: Penny Mordaunt
Answered on: 24 February 2016
In the last five years, 23 flights carrying Defence Nuclear Materials (DNM) were undertaken. All flights were between the UK and the United States on fixed wing aircraft under the control of UK Armed Forces. No such flights passed over Scotland, or involved the use of helicopters.
I am withholding details of the physical state, mass and radiological quantity of DNM transported as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security.
The transport of DNM is carried out to the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations. In over 50 years of transporting DNM in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or to the environment.
Q
Asked by Dr Paul Monaghan
(Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Asked on: 11 February 2016
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Yemen: Military Intervention
27085
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evidence from independent bodies he has seen that Saudi Arabia is complying with international humanitarian law in the Yemen conflict.
A
Answered by: Mr Tobias Ellwood
Answered on: 24 February 2016
The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations using available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. At this stage, looking at all the information available to us, we have not assessed that there has been a breach of IHL by the coalition, but continue to monitor the situation closely, seeking further information where appropriate. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL to the Saudi Arabian government and other members of the military Coalition. Most recently I raised the issue of IHL compliance on 4 February with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador in London
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
[N]
Asked on: 19 February 2016
Ministry of Defence
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
27329
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the US Department of Defense’s decision to delay the acceleration of orders of the F-35 until 2021.
A
Answered by: Mr Philip Dunne
Answered on: 24 February 2016
The US Department of Defense budget decision in relation to accelerating F-35 orders does not impact on the UK’s F-35B Lightning II procurement policy, which we will continue to progress in line with the StrategicDefence and Security Review. The programme remains on track for initial operating capability in 2018.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
[N]
Asked on: 19 February 2016
Ministry of Defence
European Fighter Aircraft
27330
To ask the Secretary of State for