19 Jun 19. House of Commons Defence Committee
House of Lords
Assemblée nationale (French National Assembly)
Sénat (French Senate).
Gathered symbolically on the anniversary of General de Gaulle’s call to resistance made from London, French and British parliamentarians from the committees of the four Houses covering defence matters have reaffirmed the importance of the Franco-British defence cooperation relationship in the context of the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
The Lancaster House Treaties (2010) between France and the United Kingdom established very close defence cooperation between the two countries on both the operational and industrial levels, including a joint expeditionary force and several major industrial projects.
This working session, which took place 18 June in the Senate in Paris and brought together 15 members of the four Houses of Parliament, is a strong political signal of the solidity of this bilateral defence relationship. It testifies to the fact that this bilateral defence relationship remains essential to the security of the two Nations and of Europe as a whole.
18 Jun 19. 15-year delay to submarine disposal risks costing taxpayer £30m a year, warns Public Accounts Committee. The Public Accounts Committee has today published a report on Submarine Defueling and Dismantling.
- MoD’s failure to dispose of retired nuclear submarines is unacceptable and unnecessary
- Further delays to submarine disposal possible as first dismantling will be three years late
- By the mid-2020s, Department is likely to find itself without any further storage space
Report Summary
The UK retired its 20 legacy submarines in 1980 and the Ministry of Defence’s (the Department) progress in disposing of these submarines has been a serious disappointment. The project has moved at a glacial pace and the 15-year delay has led to extortionate storage and maintenance costs which are now costing the taxpayer £30m per year. The Department is also looking increasingly likely to find itself without any further storage space by the mid-2020s. The Department is rapidly approaching crisis point and simply cannot afford any further delays, particularly as much of the money currently being spent on the project is not going directly towards either defueling or dismantling. While it has taken the Department 16 years to devise a workable dismantling strategy, it is encouraging to see that progress is now being made and there is finally some momentum behind the project. However, while there is now an agreed policy, we remain sceptical that the ambitious timetable will be met, particularly given how many times this project has been delayed or deprioritised over the years. It is clear that the commitment to dismantle its first submarine – Swiftsure – by 2023 will not be met and will likely be completed three years after the target date. The scale of the task faced by the Department appears even more challenging given the defence affordability ‘black hole’ which totals at least £7bn. The Department has some way to go to establish submarine disposal as a routine part of its business.
Commenting on the Report, Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “Yet again, the Government has failed to see the bigger picture. In an attempt to save money in the short term by delaying the defueling and dismantling of retired nuclear submarines, the MoD is now spending £30m a year of taxpayers’ money on storage and maintenance.
“The MoD has spent £500m since 1980 on such storage and maintenance. This is simply unacceptable. Whilst some progress has been made recently with submarine disposals, the MoD cannot afford to fall any further behind. The Pubic Accounts Committee has set out a series of milestones for the MoD to ensure that it keeps on track to establish submarine disposal as a routine part of its business.”
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Q
Asked by Lord West of Spithead
Asked on: 12 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
EU Defence Policy
HL16341
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are currently involved in the negotiations over the Permanent Structured Cooperation and the European Defence Fund; if so, which government department is leading on those negotiations; and (1) when, (2) where, and (3) with whom, the last meeting was held.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 19 June 2019
As a full EU Member State, the UK continues to participate in meetings and discussions regarding EU defenceinitiatives including Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF).
The UK has not joined PESCO but recognises its potential to support increased defence investment in Europe and the development of capabilities that contribute to NATO. As a non-participating Member State the UK has no voting rights on PESCO matters, but we do contribute to discussions where appropriate. Any future UK participation in PESCO projects will be subject to the rules governing third country access that are still being negotiated by PESCO Participating Member States.
The Political Declaration provides the option for the UK to participate in capability projects through the EDF, subject to conditions in Union Law. The UK has contributed to discussions about the draft EDF Regulations. Any UK participation in EDF projects would need to be aligned with our requirements and represent value for money.
EU Defence Ministers last discussed PESCO and the EDF at the May Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) in Brussels.
The Ministry of Defence is the Government department with responsibility for EDF and PESCO matters.
Q
Asked by Mr David Jones
(Clwyd West)
[N]
Asked on: 13 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
Bahrain: HMS Jufair
264371
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what logistical and other advantages the Royal Navy is deriving from the establishment of HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
A
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 18 June 2019
The UK Naval Support Facility in the Kingdom of Bahrain demonstrates our strong and enduring bilateral relationship. It supports our deployed naval force in the Gulf, providing maritime security for Bahrain, the wider region, and the global economy. The capability is split into three broad categories: accommodation, welfare, and technical. It provides appropriate levels of real-life support to personnel deployed to Bahrain, whether permanently shore-based, on contingent operations, on a deployed maritime unit, or on short-term theatre visits. The facility provides engineering and logistics support to maritime units,and can host contingent forces for short periods. It has enabled the Royal Navy to permanently assign HMS MONTROSE – a Type 23 frigate – to the Gulf, and provide better support for its vessels, including the UK’s new aircraft carriers.
Q
Asked by Lord Moonie
Asked on: 06 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
AWACS: Procurement
HL16162
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they chose to implement an E-7 Wedgetail conversion programme to maintain the UK’s Airborne Early Warning and Control capability rather than procure new Boeing 737–700 AEW&C aircraft.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 17 June 2019
The E-7 Wedgetail is a military derivative based on the Boeing 737 NG civil aircraft and has always been produced by modifying that aircraft with a sophisticated radar and mission system suite along with other military systems. Wherever the E-7 is produced it involves the modification of the base aircraft and by undertaking this work at Marshall Aerospace and Defence in Cambridge we have ensured that several hundred highly-skilled jobs have been sustained in the United Kingdom.
Q
Asked by Lord Moonie
Asked on: 10 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
AWACS: Procurement
HL16203
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the procurement of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will be subject to oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office; and if so, whether Boeing has agreed to the baseline profit rate.
A
Answered by: Earl Howe
Answered on: 17 June 2019
The prime contract with Boeing Defence UK for the E-7 Wedgetail is assessed as a qualifying defence contract (QDC) in accordance with the Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR) and is subject to oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office as any QDC would be. The profit rate for the contract has been agreed in accordance with the SSCR six-step calculation process which begins with the baseline profit rate applicable at the time of contract placement.
Q
Asked by Nia Griffith
(Llanelli)
[N]
Asked on: 11 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
263107
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the merits of the recent agreement between Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon on the F-35 aircraft; what the timetable is for the purchase of the 138 F-35 aircraft; and whether all those aircraft will be of the F-35B variant.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 17 June 2019
We welcome the announcement of the agreement between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin for the delivery of a further 478 F-35 Lightning aircraft across the international programme. Once formally finalised and on contract, it should deliver the lowest aircraft prices on the F-35 programme to date.
The Ministry of Defence’s current approval is for the delivery of the Tranche 1 fleet of 48 F-35B aircraft, which are all expected to be delivered by 2025.
Decisions on subsequent tranches and aircraft variant will be taken at the relevant time to ensure the most appropriate capability for our Armed Forces and best value for money.
Q
Asked by Nia Griffith
(Llanelli)
[N]
Asked on: 11 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
263107
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the merits of the recent agreement between Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon on the F-35 aircraft; what the timetable is for the purchase of the 138 F-35 aircraft; and whether all those aircraft will be of the F-35B variant.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 17 June 2019
We welcome the announcement of the agreement between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin for the delivery of a further 478 F-35 Lightning aircraft across the international programme. Once formally finalised and on contract, it should deliver the lowest aircraft prices on the F-35 programme to date.
The Ministry of Defence’s current approval is for the delivery of the Tranche 1 fleet of 48 F-35B aircraft, which are all expected to be delivered by 2025.
Decisions on subsequent tranches and aircraft variant will be taken at the relevant time to ensure the most appropriate capability for our Armed Forces and best value for money.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 11 June 2019
Ministry of Defence
Small Businesses: Expenditure
263092
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much her Department has spent on SMEs in (a) the UK, (b) each region of the UK and (c) each constituent part of the UK in last 12 months.
A
Answered by: Stuart Andrew
Answered on: 19 June 2019
Each year, the Cabinet Office publishes information on central government spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The latest publication, 2017-2018, can be accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/central-government-spend-with-smes-2017-to-2018
This includes overall Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure with SMEs. Statistics on MOD expenditure, broken down by region is published in Tables 4 and 5 of the MOD regional expenditure with UK industry and supported employment 2017-18 bulletin, which can be found at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-with-uk-industry-and-supported-employment-201718
Data for 2018-19 will be published in January 2020.
The MOD does not collate detailed information about spend on individual companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in each region or constituent part of the UK.