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
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what assessment he has made of the cost of maintaining HMS Endurance in the next three years; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of commissioning a new ice-breaker to replace HMS Endurance; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
We anticipate making a decision on whether to repair or replace HMS Endurance next year. Until this decision is taken and any resulting competitive process completed, no information can be provided on how much it will cost to maintain HMS Endurance or how much it would cost to commission a new ice breaker. I can, however, confirm that the berthing of HMS Endurance is currently being undertaken at no additional cost to the Department.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training exercises by UK forces have taken place in another country’s territory in each of the last 10 years; and what the location was of each such exercise.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Records of military training exercises conducted within the territory of other countries before 2006 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Records of training exercises held by the Royal Navy do not include details of entry to the territorial waters of other countries and the provision of such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following table gives details of the countries that the army and the Royal Air Force have conducted training exercises in since 2006.
| Financial year | ||||||
| Country | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | Total |
| Albania | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
| Armenia | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Australia | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Belgium | 6 | 2 | 5 | — | — | 13 |
| Belize | 13 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 43 |
| Botswana | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
| Brunei | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Bulgaria | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Canada | 13 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 76 |
| Czech Rep | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Denmark | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| Egypt | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | 4 |
| Estonia | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Finland | — | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 33 |
| France | 5 | 11 | 18 | 21 | 11 | 66 |
| Georgia | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 3 |
| Germany | 10 | 30 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 109 |
| Ghana | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Greece | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| India | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 |
| Italy | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 22 |
| Jamacia | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 7 |
| Jordan | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Kazaksthan | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Kenya | 9 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 58 |
| Lithuania | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Macedona | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Morocco | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Nepal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Netherland | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| New Zealand | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 5 |
| Nigeria | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Norway | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 9 |
| Oman | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| Poland | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 21 |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Romania | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Russia | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Sardinia | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Saudi Arabia | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Sierra Leone | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Singapore | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 |
| Slovakia | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| Spain | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 7 |
| Sweden | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Turkey | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
| Ukraine | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| UAE | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 9 |
| USA | 30 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 22 | 138 |
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of repair to Apache helicopters attributable to the firing of Hellfire missiles has been in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
According to available records there have been three reported incidents of damage to the Apache helicopter attributable to the firing of Hellfire missiles. Each incident occurred in 2009. Two involved panel damage and the third was to the aircraft’s horizontal stabilator. All repair work was carried out at squadron level by army personnel. Apart from labour costs, the only other cost of repair was that of a panel which was scrapped and replaced costing £19,000. The aircraft with damage to the horizontal stabilator was fitted with a new composite horizontal stabilator which was in the process of being embodied across the Apache fleet.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse has been of refitting HMS Protector; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
On 22 March 2011 the Department signed a contract, worth £26 million, for an interim replacement Ice Patrol Ship, which has been named HMS Protector, In addition, the Department is spending approximately £3.2 million converting her for Royal Navy use, including fitting military task equipment such as survey boats and communications equipment.
Question
Ann McKechin (Glasgow North, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has discussed with the Ministry of Defence proposals by the Scottish Government that a future independent Scotland could share defence capabilities and facilities with the UK.
Answer
Michael Moore (Secretary of State, Scotland; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, Liberal Democrat)
No. All personnel, wherever they are from in the UK, serve as part of the United Kingdom armed forces. The UK Government believes that being part of the UK is good for Scotland, and Scotland being part of the UK is good for the rest of the UK.
Question
Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel have been severely injured in Afghanistan in the last 12 months; and how many such personnel are receiving treatment in the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The information requested is provided in the following table:
| Reporting p eriod 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011 | |
| Number of VSI or SI in Op HERRICK | 154 |
| Number of VSI or SI aeromedically evacuated and treated at Selly Oak and/or QEHB | 150 |
The answer to the question provides the number of service personnel who have been very seriously injured (VSI) or seriously injured (SI) in Afghanistan (Operation HERRICK).
We are only able to report to the end of December 2010. Additionally, as the figures for the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham (QEHB) and Selly Oak hospital are captured under the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Clinical Unit (RCDM Clin Unit), we are unable to identify separately those patients treated at QEHB. Hence, the table shows the number of personnel who have been treated at Selly Oak and/or the QEHB.
Of the four casualties not recorded as being received by RCDM Clin Unit, two were treated in the field hospital at Camp Bastion and then returned to unit in theatre and two were returned to unit in the UK, receiving treatment within primary health care.
Good to see that the government hasn’t given up any time at all to consideration of the SNP’s daft defence proposals.
We want independence / no to NATO / no to nukes – but let us keep your bases, and your logistics jobs and administration jobs, your money. And let us share your facilities… and give us cake, lots of cake, because we want to eat our cake and still have cake.
HMS Protector should be a very capable ship. I see it’s got the fuel RAS’ing boom thing, so I guess it can do all the regular naval Replenishment at Sea. Does anyone know about the support that was provided to HMS Endurance and the support that will given to HMS Protector? Is it HMNB Portsmouth’s in house providing all maintenance and support, and not any of the companies based at the Dockyard?
The Scots should realise that comprehensive devolution is the most they’ll ever get.
There’s what 3 million people born in Scotland living in England. I wonder whether these people will be involved in the independence referendum or referendums. Political nationalism eh!!
A new big hospital site is being built in Birmingham so this should help the health service and providers there. On military hospital healthcare, my local hospital Queen Alexandra hospital, which has loads of staff from the shut down RH Haslar hospital and a military nursing corps is apparently pretty damn shite. Loads of bad press, and stories are around about the hospital. Southampton hospitals would be brilliant, they’re run by a teaching NHS trust and apparently it’s a centre of excellence and high standards are maintained everywhere, although the buildings aren’t new.
My mum worked as a civilian medical provider under the MoD at Haslar, and I know a lot about the shut down hospital. It’s a real f-ing shame, the hospital during it’s last 30 years of life was underused, there was a lot of capacity there and it wasn’t being utilised. The standards and experience was appreciated by all who visited and worked there.
It was in a district with thousands of service personnel and MoD employed civilians, there are dozens and dozens of individual MoD sites withing 20 miles of the hospital. It’s not far from North Hampshire where there are thousands of HMAF personnel and MoD civilians, if you included sites within a 50 mile radius you can count a few hundred individual sites. Headley Court is within this radius. It’s not that far from Salisbury Plain, not too far from the South West. It had the centre for Submarine medicine, ie. hyperbaric chambers etc.
Do you know I’m starting to hate Geoff Hoon, and Ainsworth was indeed nothing special in the slightest. We got f-ed by New Labour! I think in a way it’s good if Ed Milliband isn’t liked by his party that much recently, we don’t want anymore of their same old unhinged intelligence.
@Brian, brilliant, reminds me of father ted, cake, cake, cake, arse, gurls, cake
@Joe, I didnt think Bob Ainsworth was all that bad to be honest, agree with you about Mr Hoon though
Of the four casualties not recorded as being received by RCDM Clin Unit, two were treated in the field hospital at Camp Bastion and then returned to unit in theatre and two were returned to unit in the UK, receiving treatment within primary health care. That was my highlight of the Questions and Answers