27 Jan 22. House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee. Evidence session: Defence in Scotland: Military Personnel and Estate.
Monday 31 January 2022, 15:00
MPs hold first evidence session exploring Defence in Scotland
The Scottish Affairs Committee will be holding its first evidence session as part of its inquiry, Defence in Scotland: Military Personnel and Estate.
At present, over 19,000 people are employed in more than 100 Ministry of Defence establishments around Scotland (including regular armed forces personnel, reserve personnel and civil servants). However, in 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced that it would reduce the size of the defence estate by 30% by 2040, with Scottish bases in Stirling and Rosyth both facing closure this year, and others to follow.
During this scene-setting evidence session, the Committee will be exploring a range of issues facing the defence sector in Scotland. Members are likely to discuss:
- Scotland’s representation in the UK military;
- The impacts of the UK’s changing defence priorities on investment, employment and communities in Scotland;
- The importance of military installations in Scotland for supporting the UK’s military alliances;
- Impact of base closures and redeployments on military personnel and their families;
- Support provided to military personnel and their families, including when moving to and from Scotland.
Witness from 15:00
- Professor Phillips O’Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies, University of St Andrews
- Professor Trevor Taylor, Director of the Defence, Industries and Society Programme, RUSI
Witnesses from 16:05
- Sarah Clewes, Chief Executive Officer, Naval Families Federation
- Lieutenant General (retired) Sir Andrew Gregory KBE CB DL, Chief Executive, SSAFA – the Armed Forces Charity
- Maria Lyle, Director, Royal Air Force Families Federation
- Collette Musgrave, Chief Executive, Army Families Federation
21 Jan 22. Russia-Ukraine crisis examined by Defence Committee. On 25 January, at 14.30, the Defence Committee will hold an evidence session on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, hearing from expert witnesses. The session will focus on the latest events surrounding Russia’s military build-up on the border with Ukraine. The Committee will likely cover Russia’s security demands, the security talks between the US, NATO, OSCE and Russia, recent cyber-attacks in Ukraine and the UK’s supply of anti-tank defensive weapons to Ukraine. The session follows the Committee’s publication of its report on Russia-Ukraine last year.
14.30, 25 January:
- James Sherr OBE, Senior Fellow, Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, International Centre for Defence & Security, Tallinn, Estonia; Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
- Olga Tokariuk, Non-resident Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Chinook Helicopters: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of UK jobs created by the £64 m contract awarded to BDUK to improve the defence systems of the UK’s Chinook fleet.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 27 January 2022
The current number of UK industry jobs supporting the Chinook helicopter fleet is estimated to exceed 450 across the UK defence supply chain. This includes around 100 jobs under the contract with BDUK to install state-of-the-art Infra-Red Suppression Systems across some of the Chinook fleet.
The UK and US Governments reached agreement in March 2021 to procure a future Chinook Capability as part of the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme. This long-term investment is highly likely to provide sustainment of UK supply chain jobs and opportunities in the support of the Chinook Platform.
Chinook Helicopters: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2021 to Question 10187, on Chinook Helicopters: Procurement, how many jobs are expected to be supported in the wider UK supply chain for manufacture and long-term support.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 27 January 2022
The current number of UK industry jobs supporting the Chinook helicopter fleet is estimated to exceed 450 across the UK defence supply chain. This includes around 100 jobs under the contract with BDUK to install state-of-the-art Infra-Red Suppression Systems across some of the Chinook fleet.
The UK and US Governments reached agreement in March 2021 to procure a future Chinook Capability as part of the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme. This long-term investment is highly likely to provide sustainment of UK supply chain jobs and opportunities in the support of the Chinook Platform.
Satellite Communications: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Carol Monaghan
Scottish National Party
Glasgow North West
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s plans are for the Skynet 6 Enduring Capability programme; and when his Department plans to publish a timeline for that programme.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 27 January 2022
The Enduring Capability requirement consists of two elements: the satellites and the ground-based infrastructure. Both are important investments within the Defence Space Strategy, giving opportunity to lever the best of UK space research and development. This will deliver long term innovative solutions for the which can overcome the increasingly hostile threats that we face in space. We continue to refine the Enduring Capability satellite requirement and procurement approach. As part of this refinement, we will be undertaking further industry engagement which will inform the satellite programme timeline.
The exact timings for the ground-based elements are dependent on the final agreements reached on the preceding programme of ground and flight control provision (the Service Delivery Wrap, which is currently being competed).
Satellite Communications: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Carol Monaghan
Scottish National Party
Glasgow North West
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s plans are for the Skynet 6 Enduring Capability programme; and when his Department plans to publish a timeline for that programme.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 27 January 2022
The Enduring Capability requirement consists of two elements: the satellites and the ground-based infrastructure. Both are important investments within the Defence Space Strategy, giving opportunity to lever the best of UK space research and development. This will deliver long term innovative solutions for the which can overcome the increasingly hostile threats that we face in space.
We continue to refine the Enduring Capability satellite requirement and procurement approach. As part of this refinement, we will be undertaking further industry engagement which will inform the satellite programme timeline.
The exact timings for the ground-based elements are dependent on the final agreements reached on the preceding programme of ground and flight control provision (the Service Delivery Wrap, which is currently being competed).
Defence: Space Technology
Question for Ministry of Defence
Carol Monaghan
Scottish National Party
Glasgow North West
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to publish the Defence Space Strategy.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 27 January 2022
We are planning for the publication of the Defence Space Strategy to happen soon.
Autonomous Weapons
Question for Ministry of Defence
Alyn Smith
Scottish National Party
Stirling
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government’s policy is on the UK developing systems that operate without human intervention in the weapon command and control chain.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 26 January 2022
The United Kingdom does not possess, and has no intention of developing fully autonomous systems which operate without human intervention in the weapon command and control chain.
When deploying autonomous weapon systems, we will always ensure meaningful and context-appropriate human involvement across the system lifecycle from development to deployment, ensuring human responsibility for outcomes.
Defence: Artificial Intelligence
Question for Ministry of Defence
Alyn Smith
Scottish National Party
Stirling
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (AAIC) Partnership Agreement signed with the US Air Force Research Laboratory in December 2020; and if he will place a copy of that agreement in the…
Show full question
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 26 January 2022
Thanks to this collaboration good progress has been made in developing AI and Autonomy tools for use against priority operational challenges and scenarios. The latest milestone event (along with a review conducted by the deputy principles) was held in October 2021, demonstrating how the UK and US can integrate AI technology to create an end-to-end machine learning research development and deployment ecosystem, enabling rapid data-sharing and algorithm development, evaluation and deployment: . A report was published and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/us-and-uk-research-labs-collaborate-on-autonomy-and-ai.
We do not intend to place the Project Arrangement in the House Library. The hon. Member may also wish to be aware that the Project Arrangement would fall within the scope of the qualified exemption provided for at Section 27 (International Relations) of the Freedom of Information Act. I am therefore withholding the information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another State.
Procurement Frigates: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Lord West of Spithead
Labour
Life peer
Lords
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) BA Systems, or (2) Babcock, regarding the build rate of the (a) Type 26 frigates, or (b) Type 31 frigates.
Answer
Baroness Goldie
Conservative
Life peer
Lords
Answered on 26 January 2022
Ministers and officials hold regular meetings with defence contractors and suppliers, including BAE Systems and Babcock to discuss a variety of subjects, including frigate programmes.
Ministry of Defence: Expenditure
Question for Ministry of Defence
Chris Evans
Labour
Islwyn
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason omitted estimates and data for jobs supported by MOD expenditure have been delayed for the report entitled MOD regional expenditure with UK industry and commerce and supported employment 2020/2021.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 26 January 2022
The omitted estimates and data for jobs supported by Ministry of Defence expenditure have been delayed due to a delay in the availability of the latest employment and turnover data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), caused by the impact of COVID-19 on the ONS Business Surveys. The ONS figures are required for the calculation of employment estimates. Subject to the availability of data from the ONS, we estimate that we will be able publish a revision of the bulletin to include the jobs estimates for 2020-21 in early summer 2022.
Fleet Solid Support Ships
Question for Ministry of Defence
Mick Whitley
Labour
Birkenhead
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the Fleet Solid Support Ship competition.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 26 January 2022
As announced on 1 September 2021, four consortia, all of which include significant UK involvement, have been awarded Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship Competitive Procurement Phase contracts to mature their proposals. The project is on track to receive final manufacture tenders in July 2022. The Ministry of Defence expects to be able to award a manufacture contract for the FSS ships within two years of competition launch in May 2021.
Armed Forces: Firearms
Question for Ministry of Defence
Stephen Kinnock
Labour
Aberavon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the replacement for the SA80 assault rifle will be manufactured in the UK.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 25 January 2022
A decision has not been taken on where the replacement will be manufactured, as consideration of the replacement options has not yet completed.
Armed Forces: Firearms
Question for Ministry of Defence
Stephen Kinnock
Labour
Aberavon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the SA80 assault rifle go out of service in 2025; and whether he is planning to extend its service life.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 25 January 2022
The SA80’s current Out of Service Date is 2030.
Armed Forces: Firearms
Question for Ministry of Defence
Stephen Kinnock
Labour
Aberavon
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Government plans to announce the replacement for the SA80 assault rifle.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 25 January 2022
The requirements for a replacement to the SA80 family of weapons are currently being investigated. The Army, working with the other services, is leading on this process.