This is a regular round up of Parliamentary questions and answers from ministers relevant to defence issues In addition to oral questions, MPs and Peers can ask government ministers questions for written answer. These are often used to obtain detailed information about policies and statistics on the activities of government departments. In the House of Commons ‘ordinary’ questions do not have to be answered on a specific date. An MP will date a written question for two days after they have tabled it (ie, submitted it for answer via the Table Office). The convention is that the MP can expect it to be answered within seven days of the question being tabled.
Contents
Question
Stephen Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK serving commissioned officers are working in NATO Headquarters; and how many of these are (a) direct entry and (b) late entry commissioned officers.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 24 March 2011
There are 528 UK commissioned officers serving in various NATO Headquarters. The numbers of these that are direct entry and late entry are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Question
John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel have been trained to undertake duties within prisons as part of contingency plans to deal with any potential industrial action by prison staff; how much such training has cost to date; what training has been given to such personnel as part of such plans; and how many such personnel have been designated to support the National Offender Management Service as part of such plans.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Work is under way between the Ministries of Justice and Defence to prepare military personnel to support the National Offender Management Service in the event of widespread industrial action in prisons.
Contingency measures have been put in place by the National Offender Management Service to strengthen the security and safety of prisons in the event of industrial action within prisons. Disclosing the number of military personnel trained and the number designated to support the National Offender Management Service would undermine these measures.
As the training is still under way the costs incurred so far are not yet confirmed. However costs are being captured by the Ministry of Defence and a total cost will be available once training has been completed.
With respect to the training given to military personnel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend Mr Blunt, on 10 March 2011, Hansard, column 1280W.
Question
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what visits by foreign civil and military dignitaries have been hosted by (a) HMS Cumberland and (b) HMS Cornwall in their current deployment.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
As at 22 March 2011 the foreign civil and military dignitaries hosted by HMS Cumberland and HMS Cornwall during their current deployments are as follows:
| HMS Cumberland | ||
| Event | Foreign guests | |
| 20 October 2010 | Official reception on behalf of British consul-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | Vice chairman of a manufacturing company, a local businessman and a senior legal adviser |
| 22 November 2010 | Formal lunch for defence attachés only during HM Queen state visit to UAE | Defence attachés of Netherlands, Australia, United States, France and Germany |
| 9 December 2010 | Initial entry into Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) UAE | Head of customs and ports and entourage |
| Formal lunch | Ruler of RAK, Crown Prince of RAK and three other senior dignitaries from RAK | |
|
HMS Cornwall |
||
| Event | Foreign guests | |
| 2 November 2010 | Defence diplomacy reception | Diplomatic and military dignitaries from Algeria, France, Egypt, Tunisia and Russia |
| 3 November 2010 | Lunch for members of Algerian military attended by HM ambassador and UK defence attaché | Four senior Algerian officers |
| 29 November 2010 | Change of command ceremony from Turkish to Pakistani for combined task group (CTF)151-HMS Cornwall acting as flagship | Turkish and Pakistani military dignitaries. Pakistani commander and staff have remained onboard as command platform |
| 19 December 2010 | Counter piracy meeting | Spanish commander of command task group 465 (Op Atalanta) |
| 24 January 2011 | Presentation on piracy by commander CTF 151 and CO HMS Cornwall | Japanese anti-piracy task force commander and two Japanese commanding officers. |
| 25-27 February 2011 | Preparation for handover of command of CTF 151 | Senior Singaporean naval officer and delegation onboard for three days in advance of command handover |
Question
Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dogs have been engaged by each of the armed services in (a) the UK, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iraq, (d) Germany and (e) other overseas locations in each of the last five years; what roles such dogs fulfil; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The number of military working dogs (MWD) in each location fluctuates throughout the year. They are moved between locations to meet the specific needs of the armed forces, such as support to operations and standing commitments. This also ensures that each dog continues to be employed in both the best possible MWD team (handler and dog) combination and environment for each dog’s welfare and veterinary needs.
Information can therefore only be presented as a snapshot in time. As at 28 March 2011, the Army had a total of 229 trained dogs and 138 dogs currently being trained across 17 different locations within the UK and overseas. The Royal Air Force had a total of 212 trained and five being trained across 21 different locations within the UK and overseas. The Royal Navy have no MWDs.
MWDs fall broadly into two categories: protection and detection. Protection dogs are trained to guard. Detection dogs are trained to search for items and substances (such as drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives) and can also be trained to track or detect human scent.
I am withholding specific detail on the numbers of MWDs in operational theatres as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to report to the House monthly on the adherence of each service to harmony guidelines, including any instances of breaches and their extent.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
No. To help get the work/life balance right for our service personnel, we have Harmony Guidelines for the length of time personnel spend away and the interval that they should have between operational tours. These allow commanding officers to judge the situation facing their personnel and give them the opportunity to take remedial measures where possible. They do not provide an overall measure of manning. In addition, Harmony figures are unlikely to change significantly month on month as they are calculated against a rolling period ranging over years.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what legal status the proposed tri-service military covenant will have.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Provisions in the Armed Forces Bill, currently before Parliament, will require the Defence Secretary to present an armed forces covenant report to Parliament every year. Therefore, under this Government, for the first time the armed forces covenant will be referenced in law. This demonstrates the commitment of this Government to rebuild the armed forces covenant.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many urgent operational requirements have been implemented for platforms serving in Afghanistan (a) with and (b) without a support and maintenance contract in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Over £4.9 billion has been approved through the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) process on equipment to meet emerging threats and requirements for Afghanistan since Operation Herrick began.
During 2010, there were 71 modifications purchased under UOR arrangements fitted to existing fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, armoured vehicles, protected patrol vehicles and support vehicle platforms, in support of UK armed forces deployed in Afghanistan. Of these, 63 required and had a support and maintenance contract.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of personnel in each armed service are in breach of their harmony guidelines; what assessment he has made of the effect of Operation Odyssey Dawn on the number of such people; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Less than 1% of the Royal Navy, 6% of the Army and 5% of RAF personnel are operating above Harmony guidelines. Operation Ellamy, the UK name for the NATO operation in Libya, is still in its early days and its duration remains unclear, as does the eventual number of personnel deployed to the operation. As a result of this, it is not yet possible to assess the effect on harmony of this operation. Nonetheless, the impact of all periods of deployment on the harmony guidelines remains under scrutiny.
Question
Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Conservative)
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce his decision in respect of the Ministry of Defence‘s Planning Round 11.
Answer
anny Alexander (Chief Secretary, HM Treasury; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 28 March 2011
The Ministry of Defence‘s spending plans were published in the spending review, which set out plans to reduce expenditure by 8% over the next four years. The Ministry of Defence will announce the conclusions of the planning round in due course.
Question
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel of each service are stationed in Bahrain.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The following table shows the number of troops stationed in Bahrain:
| Service | Endorsed number (as at 28 March 11)( 1) |
| Naval | 110 |
| Army | 10 |
| Air Force | 10 |
| (1) Rounded to the nearest 10 personnel | |
The precise number of personnel in theatre fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed in theatre.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have participated in Operation Ellamy to date.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 30 March 2011
As at 29 March 2011, the number of service personnel participating in Operation Ellamy overseas was 1,400, rounded to the nearest 100.
The precise number of personnel participating in Operation Ellamy will fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish specific figures for personnel deployed in support of operations.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment and capabilities from (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Army have been deployed in Operation Ellamy.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 30 March 2011
The Royal Navy has deployed Type 22 and Type 23 Frigates (HMS Cumberland and HMS Westminster respectively), with a Royal Marine Fleet Standby Rifle Troop onboard. A Trafalgar Class submarine has also been deployed.
The Royal Air Force has deployed a Nimrod R1, Sentinel reconnaissance aircraft and the E3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft: Tornado GR4 ground attack aircraft have been deployed to support strike operations in support of the UN Security Council Resolution (1973) No Fly Zone. Typhoon aircraft have also been deployed to enforce the No Fly Zone. VC10, Tristar, C130, C17, HS125 and HS146 aircraft have been deployed for logistic support including air-to-air refuelling.
The Army has deployed forward elements of 30 Signal Regiment and Lead Air Support Squadron to Italy for communications and engineering support respectively.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to save through the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal in each financial year until 2020.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Savings from the withdrawal from service of HMS Ark Royal are estimated at £10 million in financial year 2011-12, £25 million in 2012-13, £35 million in 2013-14, £35 million in 2014-15 and broadly £30 million each year thereafter.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any helicopters and their crews deployed in Afghanistan will be redeployed as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
There are currently no plans to redeploy UK helicopters or their crews from Afghanistan to support operations in Libya.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft movements there were between Camp Bastion and Kandahar Airbase for each type of aircraft in each of the last 12 months; what cargo was shipped in each such case; and what the cost to the public purse was of such movements in each such month.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Information on numbers of RAF helicopter movements per month and what freight was shipped on each such air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar, is not held.
Information on numbers of RAF fixed wing aircraft movements per month and what freight was shipped on each such air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield prior to September 2010, is not held.
The numbers of movements of RAF fixed wing aircraft between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield for each month since September 2010 is as follows:
| Number of RAF fixed wing aircraft movements | |
| September 2010 | 308 |
| October 2010 | 277 |
| November 2010 | 222 |
| December 2010 | 247 |
| January 2011 | 242 |
| February 2011 | 195 |
The average total monthly marginal cost of these moves was £310,000.
Marginal cost is cost which would not have been incurred had the moves not occurred, the majority of which is the cost of fuel.
Information on what freight was shipped on each such RAF fixed wing air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield from September 2010, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Question
Lord Davies of Stamford (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to proceed with the purchase of the Rivet Joint aircraft.
Answer
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
The decision by the previous Government to buy three Rivet Joint aircraft was confirmed by the strategic defence and security review and this remains our intention.
Until these aircraft enter service, Royal Air Force crews will train and deploy on United States Air Force Rivet Joint aircraft. Joint training began in January 2011.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) when HMS Illustrious is due to return to service;
(2) on what date HMS Illustrious was taken out of service.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
HMS Illustrious left operational service in January 2010, and entered her docking period in Rosyth in March 2010. She is scheduled to return to operational service in spring 2012, to assume her landing platform helicopter role.
Two things spring out at me – Firstly, why doesn’t the RN have dogs? Surely a detection dog would significantly speed up the search of a suspect vessel and reach areas personell might find difficult? And they might prove useful for security, as well as morale?
Secondly, HS146: are they being used a VIP transport of do they have another combat support role?
I thought the March Defence Board was due to look at the army heavy kit levels and future replacements; only a holding answer… perhaps Libya has kept everyone too busy?
“To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce his decision in respect of the Ministry of Defence‘s Planning Round 11.
Answer
anny Alexander (Chief Secretary, HM Treasury; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 28 March 2011
The Ministry of Defence‘s spending plans were published in the spending review, which set out plans to reduce expenditure by 8% over the next four years. The Ministry of Defence will announce the conclusions of the planning round in due course.”
no point ms moon banging on about harmony guidelines when each service has different time period, hence a RAF serviceman could in fact spend less time on ops and more time “at home” than the other services and yet be outside the harmony guidelines set by the RAF. This isn’t a dig by the way, it’s not the guys on the ground who set these guidelines, but why are they different?
Also, looking at the frequency of flights between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield and the fuel costs wouldn’t the outlay on the purchase of a medium/light aircraft be met (almost) by savings made by less fuel/maaintainence by that i mean fuel costs of a four engined herc or the high maint costs of chinook/merlin seeing as these are the principal modes of transport in the sandpit.
Personnel to participate to the Royal Wedding: in the list on the MOD website also appear the names
HMS Campbeltown, HMS Chatham, HMS Cumberland
HMS Gloucester
RAF Kinloss
What is it, a joke of the worst kind…?
Have Ark Royal, 800 NAS and Largs Bay too, and to complete it the cake would be a flypast of Nimrod MRA4 and a big huge headline towed behind it:
“WE ARE MAKING FUN OF YOU BEFORE WE KICK YOU OUT. Sorry guys.”
Seriously, i find this ridiculous.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/ArmedForcesRoleInRoyalWeddingAnnounced.htm
Gabriele
Perhaps its more of a ‘thanks’ motion? And recognition? Even then, I agree, kinda bitter-sweet way of going about it :/
Not to mention 1 Sqn, 20 Sqn, 4 Sqn (all harriers) 201 Sqn, 120 Sqn (Nimrod) 111 Sqn (F3), 13 & 14 Sqn (Gr4)…. we could have them formation flying with said words as they fly over… give the public something to spell out..
Shame, I was hoping to see another question about drinks cabinets again! XD
I hope it is a sincere way to say a last “thank you”… but i cannot hide the fact that it really sounds quite a joke.
Also because on the 4 of April the list of the ones told to leave the services will be published. And it is FOR SURE going to contain at least part of the crews of the squadrons and ships decommissioned.
“Have one last hurrah, then get the hell out”. That’s what it sadly feels like.