29 June 22. Defence Committee publishes letter from MOD on Navy. Today, the Defence Committee publishes correspondence from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) responding to questions from the Committee on the Navy and Naval procurement. The correspondence follows the Committee’s report “We are going to need a bigger Navy” and the subsequent Government response. The MOD’s response reveals that the RFA Argus, the Primary Casualty Receiving Ship, launched in 1980, will now be extended in service beyond 2030. This follows the Committee’s identification of a capability gap for fleet medical facilities until the Multi Role Support Ships are due in the early 2030s. The MOD’s letter proposes a date for the first annual report to the Committee on shipbuilding and ship availability: October 2022. The letter also confirms that two streams of the Type 45 PIP will now be carried out concurrently and contains replies to the Committee’s questions on Surface to Surface Guided Weapon capability, Littoral strike shipping and submarines.
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/24/defence-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Army: Weapons
Question for Ministry of Defence
Andrea Leadsom
Conservative
South Northamptonshire
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that stocks of weapons used by the British Army do not deplete as a result of exports of arms to Ukraine.
Answer
James Heappey
Conservative
Wells
Commons
Answered on 30 June 2022
Defence continually manages and reviews its stocks of weapons and munitions. This analysis informs the numbers of munitions granted in kind to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There are regular strategic supplier conversations throughout Defence and the Department is fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure that all equipment and munitions granted in kind are replaced as expeditiously as possible.
Ajax Vehicles: Testing
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans trials on the Ajax armoured vehicle programme to resume.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 29 June 2022
Investigations continue into the effectiveness of the internal communications system. User validation trials will resume once the data has been fully reviewed and understood and the safety panel is satisfied that it is right to do so.
Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Mr Kevan Jones
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech at the Atlantic Future Forum on October 2021, what his policy is on UK involvement in the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract.
Answer
Jeremy Quin
Conservative
Horsham
Commons
Answered on 29 June 2022
The Government’s policy on UK involvement in the manufacture of the Fleet Solid Support ships remains unchanged.
It is an objective of the Fleet Solid Support ship competition to deliver UK social value in recognition of the opportunities for prosperity and levelling-up that the programme presents, maximising the social value contribution shipbuilding can make. This includes encouraging investment whilst balancing the need for value for money and a fully compliant solution.
The final contract for the manufacture of the fleet solid support ships will be awarded to a UK business, either solely or as part of a consortium. We have been clear that a significant proportion of the build work will be carried out in the UK.