Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on procuring fleet support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The programme to deliver the Fleet Solid Support ships entered the Assessment Phase in April 2016. Current activity is focused on developing the technical specification for the ships and confirmation of the vessels' capability requirements.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings have taken place between trades union representatives and his Department on the national shipbuilding strategy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Following on from Sir John Parker's trade union engagement prior to publishing his independent report, we have continued to keep the trade unions involved. Representatives from the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) and GMB have attended Industry stakeholder events in relation to the National Shipbuilding Strategy. We also undertook a briefing on the strategy followed by a question and answer session at the CSEU Maritime Forum on 13 February 2017. We will continue to engage with the trade unions as we implement the strategy.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria are used to establish whether a contract for naval ships should be advertised and such ships procured by international rather than national competition; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
As set out in the National Shipbuilding Strategy, future procurement of ships by the Ministry of Defence will be by competition.
All Royal Navy warships (destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers) will continue to have a UK-owned design, and will be built and integrated in the UK. Warship build will be via competition between UK shipyards.
All other naval ships should be subject to open competition, provided that there are no compelling national security reasons to constrain a particular procurement to national providers. Integration of sensitive UK-specific systems will be done in the UK, where possible after competition between UK providers.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on procuring fleet support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The programme to deliver the Fleet Solid Support ships entered the Assessment Phase in April 2016. Current activity is focused on developing the technical specification for the ships and confirmation of the vessels' capability requirements.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the National Shipbuilding Strategy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The Government is committed to publishing a National Shipbuilding Strategy. The Strategy will be published in due course.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the procurement of fleet support ships; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The programme to deliver the Fleet Solid Support ships entered the Assessment Phase in April 2016. Current activity is focused on developing the technical specification for the ships and confirmation of the vessels' capability requirements.
A Ministry of Defence Project Team industry day was held in July 2016 to advertise the requirement and engage potential suppliers. It is intended to continue to engage with industry as the programme progresses.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consultations have taken place with the relevant trade unions on the National Shipbuilding Strategy in the last 12 months.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
We value the support and contribution made by trade unions. Following on from Sir John Parker's trade union engagement prior to publishing his independent report, we have continued to keep trade unions involved as we develop the UK national shipbuilding strategy. Representatives from the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) and GMB have attended Industry stakeholder events. We also undertook a briefing on the shipbuilding strategy followed by a question and answer session at the CSEU Maritime Forum on 13 February 2017.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2017 to Question 59241, what the planned date is for the main investment decision and contractual signing for the procurement of the Type 26 frigates.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Subject to successful contract negotiations, we will be able to place the contract for the first batch of Type 26 Global Combat Ships by the middle of this year, to enable the start of manufacture this summer.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many equality impact assessments have been carried out in the last three years on public service reforms which impact on (a) departmental staff and (b) members of the public; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Over the last three years the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has had, and continues to have due regard, as necessary, to the public sector equality duty in exercising its functions. The Equality Act does not require this due regard to take the form of an equality impact assessment, nor does it define an equality impact assessment, and the MOD does not maintain a record of such assessments."
The MOD aims to ensure that all public service reforms impacting on its staff or members of the public undergo an Equality Analysis, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty placed on the Department by Equalities legislation. We have recently reviewed and updated our Equality Analysis guidance to ensure that those working on policy, projects, or services have a clear and efficient process to follow and all the necessary tools at hand to undertake an Equality Analysis.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the socio-economic effect of the proposed MoD site closures announced in 2016; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 November 2016 to Question 53401 from the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith).