Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 17 September (HL3396), what was the cost of providing security for the EU Defence Summit in County Wicklow in August.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK does not comment on operational taskings. Matters relating to Ireland’s defence posture and expenditure rest with the Irish authorities, and any enquiries on those issues should be directed to them.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the company that supplied the faulty enhanced combat body armour plates to the Ministry of Defence will be subject to any sanctions.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
No sanctions against the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) are envisaged in relation to the Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) plates, which have been in service since 1981. Any reduction in protection is likely to be an effect of age, not faulty manufacture. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with suppliers to ensure that equipment provided to the Armed Forces meets the required standards and contractual obligations.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the withdrawal of all enhanced combat body armour plates issued to the UK Armed Forces for testing following safety concerns, what is the timetable for replacement plates; when the invitation to tender for replacement plates, including female-specific plates, will be released; and whether the contract award remains on track for December 2026.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) is no longer used as the primary front and rear ballistic plate system. However, ECBA plates remain in service as side protection inserts when personnel are operating at the highest level of protection with the VIRTUS and OSPREY body armour systems, which are the Armed Forces' primary combat body armour solutions.
The Complex Geometry Body Armour (CGBA) project will shortly commence the Concept Phase which will explore opportunities to enhance body armour design and performance, with particular consideration given to Service women. At this stage of the project, the timetable (including the invitation to tender and subsequent contract award) has not yet been concluded.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the details of the agreement with the government of the Republic of Ireland to provide security for the EU Defence summit in County Wicklow in August.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges under the refreshed UK-Ireland Defence Memorandum of Understanding which prioritises maritime defence cooperation. The UK does not comment on operational taskings.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to manage the memorial tablet to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers attached to the wall in St Lucia Barracks in Omagh to ensure that it is effectively maintained and protected.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The memorial tablet to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at St Lucia Barracks is attached to a wall with listed status. It is itself considered to be part of that listed structure and is therefore also protected.
Any new owners of St Lucia Barracks will be legally required to seek consent from the local planning authority if they wish to alter or move the tablet and may face criminal prosecution if they fail to do so.
Discussions will be held with any potential purchasers of the St Lucia Barracks site to ensure that they are aware of their legal responsibilities to protect and maintain the memorial tablet, and this will be stipulated at the point of sale or transfer.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following the findings of Mr Justice Humphreys in the matter of an inquest into the deaths of Kevin Barry O’Donnell, Patrick Vincent, Peter Clancy and Sean O’Farrell.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We acknowledge concerns about the coroner’s findings in the Clonoe inquest and the Ministry of Defence is reviewing the coroner’s findings carefully. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial commitment there is to the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations to ensure their positive roles are enhanced.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) provide a vital role in supporting Defence activity. Their future funding is assured as part of the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Budget Cycle processes. Financial information for the RFCAs can be found in the published Consolidated Financial Statements in their Annual Reports and Accounts, the latest three of which were placed in the Library of the House on 22 October 2024. These documents extend to Financial Year (FY) 2022-23 and can be found as Deposited Papers at the following website: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2286623/details.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen the current structures of the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The 2019 Review of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) recommended that the Council of RFCAs (CRFCA) and the 13 RFCAs should be merged into a single Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). The Ministry of Defence is currently developing the requisite NDPB operating structure which will preserve the voice and influence of the membership, both at the national and regional level, and will also ensure that structures are consistent throughout the organisation.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to BBC Northern Ireland after it described the Special Air Service in an article published on 11 January as “one of the British Army's most infamous regiments”.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
While I am unable to comment on UK Special Forces specifically, I can say that our military is respected worldwide for the highest standards of conduct and excellence on operations.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland are serving in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The information is not held in the format requested. Information on the stationed location of UK Regular Service Personnel in Northern Ireland as at 1 January 2017 is given below.
Army | 2,070 |
Royal Air Force | 60 |
Royal Navy | 10 |