House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
25 Jun 21. Defence Committee to speak to industry experts for Navy and naval procurement inquiry. On Tuesday 29 June, at 14.30, the Defence Committee will continue its inquiry into the Navy and naval procurement, hearing from industry experts. The session will explore whether naval procurement and support plans are delivering the capabilities the Navy needs. The Committee will hear from two panels of witnesses, including the Independent Reviewer of the National Shipbuilding Strategy as well as shipbuilding unions and BAE, Babcock and Thales. The questions are likely to cover the state of the UK’s shipbuilding industry and National Shipbuilding Strategy, as well as the witnesses’ experiences managing some of the UK’s most important defence projects.
Sir John Parker has a wealth of leadership and boardroom experience in industry ranging from shipbuilding and mining, to utilities, aerospace and central banking. Sir John completed a study of the UK Naval Shipbuilding Strategy for the Ministry of Defence in 2016, and in 2019 he reviewed the progress made in implementing the strategy.
Ian Waddell was elected as General Secretary of the CSEU in October 2017 after a 20-year career as a full-time officer with Unite and its predecessor unions. The CSEU represents union members working in aerospace, defence, engineering, rail, steel-making, shipbuilding and ship repair and has four major affiliates – Unite, GMB, Community and Prospect.
David Lockwood was appointed as CEO of Babcock International in September 2020 after senior roles in Cobham, BAE and Thales. Babcock are responsible for the delivery of several major programs to the Navy, including the Type 31 frigate.
Glynn Phillips leads BAE’s Maritime and Land UK sector after multiple senior leadership roles in the company. BAE is one of the world’s largest defence companies. Their work with the Royal Navy includes the Type 26 frigate, Type 45 destroyers’ Power Improvement Project and the Astute and Dreadnought class submarines.
Sam McBriar is responsible for Thales UK’s maritime business, including Maritime Autonomy and Digitisation. Thales UK provides the Royal Navy with sonar, radar and other sensing systems, as well as future technologies including the Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme.
14.30, 29 June:
Panel 1:
- Sir John Parker, Independent Reviewer of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (2019)
- Ian Waddell, General Secretary, Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU)
Panel 2:
- David Lockwood, CEO, Babcock International Group
- Glynn Phillips, Group Managing Director Maritime and Land UK, BAE Systems
- Sam McBriar, Director of Strategic Marketing for Maritime, Thales UK
25 Jun 21. Tobias Ellwood issues statement marking Armed Forces Day. Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood MP, has today issued a statement to mark Armed Forces Day. Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood MP, said, “Armed Forces week is an opportunity to collectively reflect on and honour the sacrifices of service personnel, who, without hesitation, place themselves in the line of fire to keep us safe. Without these individuals, the world would be a more hostile, volatile and dangerous place. The Armed Forces continually rise to meet new challenges. Our Troops’ response to the coronavirus pandemic was a testament to their adaptability, readiness and profound sense of duty. We recognised this in our recent report on the matter. The welfare of our Forces is at the top of the agenda for the Defence Committee and we will continue to explore the range of issues facing our personnel. From challenges around mental health provision to the complaints system, service personnel and veterans deserve to have their voices heard and needs met. We will continue to push the Government to ensure that this is the best country in which to serve and the best to be a veteran.”
Yemen: Military Intervention
UIN 18601, tabled on 18 June 2021
Question
Kenny MacAskill
Alba Party
East Lothian
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British air defence units in Saudi Arabia helped to identify or track the Houthi drone that was reported to be targeting an area near Khamis Mushait on 6 June 2021.
Answer
James Heappey
Conservative
Wells
Commons
Answered on
23 June 2021
As I stated in my answer to the hon. Member to his question 15401 of 15 June, British Air Defence units in Saudi Arabia help identify and track objects in Saudi airspace. Any action is decided upon and conducted by Saudi forces. For security reasons it is not appropriate to provide specific details of the operational activity of British air defence units in Saudi Arabia.