26 Oct 16. SDSR 2015 AND THE ARMY – Tuesday 1 November 2016. The Wilson Room, Portcullis House.
Witnesses from the Ministry of Defence:
At 11.30am
• Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence
• Lieutenant General Mark Poffley OBE, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Military Capability
• Paul Wyatt, Head of Defence Strategy and Priorities
This is the fourth oral evidence session for the Committee’s inquiry into how the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) affects the Army. The Committee will question the Secretary of State for Defence and MoD officials on the delivery of the Army elements of SDSR 2015 and explore the challenges that the MoD and the Army will face in doing so. Particular areas the Committee will seek to examine include:
• Progress in the delivery of the Army 2020 programme.
• What changes might yet be required in the Army to meet the requirements of the SDSR’s Joint Force 2025 plan, as well as other changing strategic circumstances.
• The plan for the creation of a war-fighting division.
• Recruitment.
• Defence Engagement and National Resilience.
• Army personnel matters.
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
[N]
Asked on: 24 October 2016
Ministry of Defence
Syria: Military Intervention
49899
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the deployment of an S-300 long-range air defence system to the Tartus area of Syria by the Russian government.
A
Answered by: Mike Penning
Answered on: 27 October 2016
We are aware of the Russian deployment of a new air defence system. This underlines the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between the Russian Federation and the US, acting on behalf of the global Counter-Daesh Coalition. UK aircraft operating over Syria in support of the global Coalition comply fully with the operating procedures in the Memorandum that are designed to prevent flight safety incidents.
Q
Asked by Nic Dakin
(Scunthorpe)
[N]
Asked on: 24 October 2016
Ministry of Defence
Trident Submarines: Iron and Steel
50016
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2016 to Question 48618, how much UK steel content will be secured through the 85 per cent BAE System supply chain in the UK.
A
Answered by: Harriett Baldwin
Answered on: 27 October 2016
With the scale and complexity of the submarine programme, it is too early to be able to provide an estimate of the steel that could be supplied or manufactured by UK-based steel providers.
BAE Systems, as the Prime Contractor, will manage the future steel procurements for the Dreadnought class submarines. We encourage British steel suppliers to take the opportunity to bid.
Q
Asked by Lord Touhig
Asked on: 17 October 2016
Ministry of Defence
Navy: Expenditure
HL2368
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 13 September (HL Deb, col 1390), what the long-term strategy of the Royal Navy’s expenditure plans is.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 26 October 2016
The Royal Navy has a long-term strategy for its expenditure which is managed through the Annual Budget Cycle, a process that focuses on delivering a balanced, affordable Defence Plan over a ten year time period. This is aligned with Defence policy and the direction provided by Strategic Defence and Security Reviews, which occur every five years.
Q
Asked by Lord Touhig
Asked on: 17 October 2016
Ministry of Defence
RFA Diligence
HL2369
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans have been put in place in the event of a mechanical failure of one of the Trafalgar Class submarines due to the withdrawal of the only Royal Navy repair ship RFA Diligence.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 26 October 2016
Should on-board engineers be unable to resolve a problem with any