Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether use of dry docks in Gibraltar shipyard could ease present and future docking bottlenecks.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The docking capacity to undertake upkeep on Submarines and Warships is the subject of ongoing analysis as part of the Royal Navy's planning process, the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme is an integral part of this.
While the dry dock facilities in Gibraltar have recently been used for maintenance of Offshore Patrol Vessels, there is no current plan or policy for the use of Gibraltar in commercial arrangements in the future. The facilities will generally be utilised when there is a specific operational or commercial need.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the present status of HM Ships Albion and Bulwark; and whether there are plans for the ships to be sold for scrap or used by another navy.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HMS Albion and Bulwark are currently laid up awaiting disposal.
The Royal Navy is exploring options to sell both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in a government-to-government sale. These vessels had, in effect, been retired by the previous Government. Their sale will save £9 million a year in maintenance costs in addition to the receipt from the sale, unlocking as much funding as possible to invest in modernisation, as well as reinforcing relationships with international partners.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of speeding up the Type 45 Power Improvement Project programme.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Completing the Type 45 Power Improvement Project (PIP) work is dependent on the availability of ships to undertake the upgrade, balanced against the Royal Navy’s (RN) current and future operational commitments.
PIP conversions have been aligned to the routine Class Upkeep cycle, which has been optimised where feasible to accelerate delivery and increase availability. This has enabled an increase in the number of ships undergoing PIP Upkeep in parallel at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, where historically there was only a single Type 45 in Upkeep at any one time. Class availability is now maximised to ensure that the RN has been able to fulfil all its operational commitments.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK is the largest European NATO contributor of maritime military capability to the Arctic region.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK makes a leading contribution to European security, and the Armed Forces have a long history of operating in the High North. UK Forces are committed to NATO’s warfighting plans which cover the breadth of Allied territory in the Euro-Atlantic. NATO and the UK dynamically adjust presence in the High North; Forces operating in the High North at any specific time are therefore subject to change.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the eighth Type 26 frigate will join the Royal Navy.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates in time to replace the anti-submarine warfare T23s. All ships are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.
Type 26 will allow the Royal Navy to continue to play a leading role in the anti-submarine theatre in the North Atlantic and beyond.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when HMS Victorious' refit will be completed.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I am withholding details of when HMS VICTORIOUS' Deep Maintenance Period will be completed as to do so would suggest the operational availability of vessels, potentially impacting national security.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Smith of Basildon and Lord Coaker on 21 October 2024 (HL1344 and HL1345), who holds the Royal Naval Division War Memorial within their property portfolio, if the Government Property Agency is its formal custodian but does not hold it within its property portfolio.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I will write to the Noble Lord once investigations are complete.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many operational frigates are in the Royal Naval order of battle.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As a new government we inherited a situation in which the Royal Navy has nine Type 23 frigates in service, six of which are currently available. The normal operating cycle of every ship involves them entering different readiness levels depending on their programmes, periods of refit and departmental planning requirements. The Royal Navy will be transitioning from Type 23 Frigates to two new classes, Type 26 and Type 31, over the next decade.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the second undersea cable protection ship will join the Royal Navy.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
RFA PROTEUS, the first of two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ships, is in service providing protection to undersea critical national infrastructure. The Strategic Defence Review will inform how to best deliver and augment RFA PROTEUS, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by new technologies.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans the UK Military Flying Training System has to resolve the obstacles in the training pipeline.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The majority of aircrew training delivered through the UK Military Flying Training System continues to meet Defence demand and progress. Regarding the specific issue of Rotary Wing Aircrew training recently covered by the media, I can assure you that a stepped recovery plan is in place and being implemented to ensure that the UK Military Flying System continues to deliver the number of Rotary Wing aircrew needed by Defence. Defence is closely engaging with Industry partners to resolve the issue and there is no impact to the number of tri-service aircrew commencing Operational Conversion Unit training or Operational duties.