Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of low-Earth-orbit satellite technologies in supporting (1) military communications capabilities and (2) communications resilience.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Ministry of Defence has adopted the use of low-earth orbit satellite technologies to augment and supplement its sovereign military geostationary communications satellites in support of deployed operations and training exercises. There are significant benefits of low-earth orbit satellites as part of a hybrid approach, including ease of use, fast throughput and rapid deployment. These benefits need to be balanced against security, assurance and vulnerability considerations. Resilience of Defence satellite communications is achieved through a multi-orbit approach, of which low-Earth orbit satellites forms one element.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what opportunities there are for businesses based in North East England to secure work as a result of the decision of the government of Norway to purchase Type 26 frigates from BAE Systems.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Norwegian Government’s announcement on 31 August 2025, that it had selected the UK as a strategic partner for their acquisition of Type 26 warships, will sustain around 4,000 jobs across the UK’s supply chain until well into the 2030s.
This is the largest ever UK warship export deal by value and it is expected to provide a £10 billion boost to the UK economy and support more than 400 British companies across all regions, including the north east of England. It is a huge vote of confidence in the UK’s defence industry and supply chains, which are supported by small and medium enterprises.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of plans to build new munitions factories announced through the Strategic Defence Review, what consideration they have given to locations in North East England for the site of one of these factories.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review committed to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing a plan to deliver this commitment alongside our wider Defence Industrial Strategy, delivering long-term investment to boost UK growth and generating skilled UK jobs and export opportunities. The MOD is carefully considering arrangements for those factories including potential locations, and more detail will be set out in due course. It is currently considered to be premature to discuss specific proposals or sites until the necessary preparatory work has concluded.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, when they plan to make a decision about the sites of the new munitions factories which were announced through the Strategic Defence Review; and when they will make a further announcement about their location.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review committed to build at least six new energetics and munitions factories in the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing a plan to deliver this commitment alongside our wider Defence Industrial Strategy, delivering long-term investment to boost UK growth and generating skilled UK jobs and export opportunities. The MOD is carefully considering arrangements for those factories including potential locations, and more detail will be set out in due course. It is currently considered to be premature to discuss specific proposals or sites until the necessary preparatory work has concluded.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps have been taken to preserve the wreck of HMS Victory, which sank in 1744.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It is UK Government Policy to ensure our historic military shipwrecks are offered appropriate protection and management. In September 2024, Wessex Archaeology in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, completed a non-intrusive survey of the wreck site of HMS Victory 1744. The findings will enable the Ministry of Defence to continue protecting the site. The site of HMS Victory 1744 is one of a number that UK Government monitors.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his expected timetable is for when the first Multi-Role Support Ship vessel will enter service.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Funding for the concept phase of Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) has been approved by HM Treasury. I can confirm that the platform will be procured through the new Integrated Procurement Model (IPM), which I recently announced. As such, the next step in the programme will be for me to receive and review the Independent Advice Note (IAN) on MRSS which will inform the concept and design phases of the programme. As I said in my Oral Statement of 28th February, announcing the IPM, the aim of this note is “to provide a credible second opinion for Ministers to weigh alongside the military’s proposed requirement” (Hansard ref).
The IAN will provide advice on key policy choices, to ensure we set the programme up for success from the off. In particular, this is to core policy issues are transparently considered at the earliest stage, and then locked down as far as possible, so that the remaining procurement stages can proceed at pace, and in a context of underlying policy certainty. Policy areas to be informed by the IAN will include:
Advice would draw on expertise from across the Defence Enterprise, including, but not restricted to: DSTL; DE&S; DSE/DBT.
The total programme budget will be allocated on completion of the concept phase. It is too early in that process to have committed expenditure or actual spend.
MRSS will enter service in the early 2030s, providing highly flexible warships, able to deploy on a wider variety of operations. They will be lean-crewed, with the precise crew requirement being confirmed during the concept phase.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has (a) been committed to and (b) been spent on the Multi-Role Support Ship programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Funding for the concept phase of Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) has been approved by HM Treasury. I can confirm that the platform will be procured through the new Integrated Procurement Model (IPM), which I recently announced. As such, the next step in the programme will be for me to receive and review the Independent Advice Note (IAN) on MRSS which will inform the concept and design phases of the programme. As I said in my Oral Statement of 28th February, announcing the IPM, the aim of this note is “to provide a credible second opinion for Ministers to weigh alongside the military’s proposed requirement” (Hansard ref).
The IAN will provide advice on key policy choices, to ensure we set the programme up for success from the off. In particular, this is to core policy issues are transparently considered at the earliest stage, and then locked down as far as possible, so that the remaining procurement stages can proceed at pace, and in a context of underlying policy certainty. Policy areas to be informed by the IAN will include:
Advice would draw on expertise from across the Defence Enterprise, including, but not restricted to: DSTL; DE&S; DSE/DBT.
The total programme budget will be allocated on completion of the concept phase. It is too early in that process to have committed expenditure or actual spend.
MRSS will enter service in the early 2030s, providing highly flexible warships, able to deploy on a wider variety of operations. They will be lean-crewed, with the precise crew requirement being confirmed during the concept phase.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what average number of crew will be required per Multi-Role Support Ship.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Funding for the concept phase of Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) has been approved by HM Treasury. I can confirm that the platform will be procured through the new Integrated Procurement Model (IPM), which I recently announced. As such, the next step in the programme will be for me to receive and review the Independent Advice Note (IAN) on MRSS which will inform the concept and design phases of the programme. As I said in my Oral Statement of 28th February, announcing the IPM, the aim of this note is “to provide a credible second opinion for Ministers to weigh alongside the military’s proposed requirement” (Hansard ref).
The IAN will provide advice on key policy choices, to ensure we set the programme up for success from the off. In particular, this is to core policy issues are transparently considered at the earliest stage, and then locked down as far as possible, so that the remaining procurement stages can proceed at pace, and in a context of underlying policy certainty. Policy areas to be informed by the IAN will include:
Advice would draw on expertise from across the Defence Enterprise, including, but not restricted to: DSTL; DE&S; DSE/DBT.
The total programme budget will be allocated on completion of the concept phase. It is too early in that process to have committed expenditure or actual spend.
MRSS will enter service in the early 2030s, providing highly flexible warships, able to deploy on a wider variety of operations. They will be lean-crewed, with the precise crew requirement being confirmed during the concept phase.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he has spent on post-life extension upkeep of HMS Argyll.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 May 2024 to Question 26276 to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr Doogan).
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the Fleet Solid Support programme manufactured by the UK workforce.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Fleet Solid Support contract will create more than 1,200 UK shipyard jobs and around 800 jobs will be sustained in the UK supply chain. There is also substantial investment being made in the UK including around £100 million into UK shipyards, including £77 million of infrastructure at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast shipyard, the agreement will see a further £21 million invested in skills and technology transfer from Navantia UK. Whilst the majority of the work will take place in the UK, companies in the supply chain are still being engaged. There is also substantial investment being made in UK shipbuilding and ship design.
As prime contractor for the Fleet Solid Support ships Navantia UK is in the process of letting a number of contracts to UK companies, including those already let with BMT and Harland & Wolff. The value of the individual contracts is commercially sensitive information. It is expected that approximately 60% of the contract value will be with UK companies.