Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much money the Ministry of Defence paid to the Crown Estates in relation to their activities in Wales in the financial year 2023–24.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
During the financial year 2023-24, the Ministry of Defence paid £2,805 to the Crown Estate in relation to its activities in Wales.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many operational personnel of the British Army are currently based in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, (4) Northern Ireland, and (5) overseas.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)
I refer the Noble Lord to the below table which shows the number of Trade Trained Regular Army Personnel by Stationed Location, as of 1 January 2024.
Location | Personnel |
England | 59,920 |
Wales | 1,350 |
Scotland | 3,520 |
Northern Ireland | 1,370 |
Overseas | 3,010 |
Notes/Caveats:
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial provision they are making for the financial year 2022–23 to give military assistance to the Baltic states; and how, within NATO, are (1) they, (2) the government of the USA, and (3) the government of Canada, allocating any additional responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The UK enjoys close military relationships with the Baltic states. We work together both bilaterally and through various multilateral fora, including through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The UK trains and exercises routinely across the Baltic sea region. We are also the framework nation for the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup in Estonia.
The UK does not disclose live operational financial information. We discuss European Defence and security regularly with NATO Allies including the US and Canada, but cannot comment on how they allocate responsibilities within NATO. SACEUR has not requested any further NATO support or reinforcement to the region, but the UK stands ready to respond to future requests from NATO.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated annual cost to the public purse of maintaining the United Kingdom's military presence in the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The total annual running cost of the garrison in the Falkland Islands (including infrastructure costs) is around £85 million. In addition, as part of the Falkland Islands Defence Review, £180 million will be invested in improvements to the infrastructure over the next ten years.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report in the<i> Scottish Daily Mail</i> on 28 January, whether they have considered moving Britain's nuclear armed submarines from Scotland to Wales.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
The UK Government is not considering moving the strategic nuclear deterrent to Wales. Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde will become the Royal Navy's Submarine Centre of Specialisation, and home to all Royal Navy submarines by 2020.