Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Angus Robertson Excerpts
Monday 19th December 2011

(12 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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As you would expect, Mr Speaker, robust arrangements are in place for dealing with any such contingency, but I will not talk about them in the Chamber today.

Angus Robertson Portrait Angus Robertson (Moray) (SNP)
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Last week the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and its support group were moored off the north-east coast of Scotland. Will the Secretary of State confirm that not a single fixed-wing UK maritime patrol aircraft was available and no appropriate naval vessels were able to deploy from a Scottish base because there are none in that category?

Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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The hon. Gentleman rather narrowed the scope of his question at the end by saying “able to deploy from a Scottish base”. We operate the UK armed forces and our response is on a UK-wide basis. I will check the facts of the incident and write to him.