Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of tests conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in April 2022 on the drying rate and compression properties of faux bear fur for the ceremonial caps worn by the Queen’s Guard; whether those results meet Ministry of Defence requirements; and if so, whether they will now consider introducing faux fur for ceremonial caps.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
We are aware that there may have been further testing conducted on this artificial fur in April 2022, however the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its business partner Leidos are not parties to this research and cannot therefore comment on these test results.
Previous analysis of testing conducted on the faux fur fabric showed it met only one of the five requirements necessary to be considered as a viable alternative for ceremonial caps. Whilst it met the basic standard for water absorption, it showed unacceptable rates of water shedding and performed poorly on the visual assessment. As the artificial fur didn't meet the standards required for a ceremonial cap which is worn throughout the year and in all weathers, the MOD has no plans to take this fake fur fabric forward.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to fulfil their commitment to switch to faux fur for the ceremonial caps worn by the Queen’s Guard now that a suitable faux fur is available.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
I refer the noble Lady to the answer my Hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin) gave to Question 121824 on 21 February 2022 in the House of Commons.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, given that a suitable replacement for bearskin has been developed that meets all of their "five requirements", what steps they are taking to introduce a faux fur for the ceremonial caps worn by the Queen’s Guard.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
I refer the noble Lady to the answer my Hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin) gave to Question 121824 on 21 February 2022 in the House of Commons
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the total cost of Trident renewal over the lifespan of the Successor-class submarines, including in-service costs and decommissioning.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
As stated in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, our latest cost estimate for manufacturing the four submarines of the Successor submarine programme is £31 billion, plus a contingency of £10 billion. This includes an assessment of the likely inflation over the lifetime of the programme and the risks appropriate for a project at this stage.
Once the new fleet of ballistic missile submarines comes into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget.
While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend their lifespan to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.