Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the (a) domestic and (b) foreign sources of high-grade steel on which his Department will rely for the manufacture of (i) warships, (ii) armoured vehicles and (iii) jet aircraft (A) for the remainder of the parliament and (B) subsequently.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Industrial Strategy will carefully consider the Ministry of Defence’s approach to steel, as a sub-sector within Defence and a critical element of the UK’s Defence industrial base. This will include consideration of the MOD’s use of specialist steel and the potential for Defence procurements to support the steel sector, noting capability and value for money considerations. The Defence Industrial Strategy will have a remit extending to 2035.
The Government will also bring forward a Steel Strategy that will ensure a sustainable future for UK steelmaking. The Steel Strategy will establish a long-term vision for the industry, promoting long-term growth, that aligns with wider priorities including Invest 2035, the upcoming Industrial Strategy.
Defence programmes have some requirements for specialist steel which cannot currently be sourced from UK manufacturers. Steel therefore sometimes needs to be sourced from overseas suppliers. UK steel is utilised where feasible including in both shipbuilding and armoured vehicles manufacture.
As part of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT)’s Steel Procurement Pipeline, the MOD publishes information on the steel required for current Defence projects such as shipbuilding and armoured vehicles. As part of the Department for Business and Trade’s Steel Public Procurement release the MOD also provides details on the country of origin for steel used in various Defence projects:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/steel-public-procurement
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential effectiveness of landmines in enabling the defence of land borders against conventional armed attack.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I hope the right hon. Gentleman will understand that the Ministry of Defence can’t comment publicly on operational matters. All anti-personnel landmines present an enduring risk to civilians in the wake of conflict. It is for this reason the UK remains a committed State Party to the Ottawa Treaty. The UK has successfully operated without anti-personnel landmines for fifteen years.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office on the prevention of future acquisition of UK defence companies by US defence companies; and what powers are at the Government's disposal to intervene to prevent such sales on national security grounds.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with the Foreign Secretary – and other members of the National Security Council – on a range of national security issues.
The Government scrutinises any transactions in sensitive sectors such as defence on a case-by-case basis to assess potential national security risks and has powers, including under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, to intervene where it is necessary and proportionate. The Government will not hesitate to act where necessary to protect UK national security interests.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has continued to (a) monitor and (b) report regularly to Parliament on the numbers of service personnel prescribed Lariam as an anti-malarial prophylaxis, since the Government Response HC 648 published in September 2016 to the Defence Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2015-16 HC 567, published in May 2016 on the use of Lariam; and if he will publish such statistics as are available in tabular form.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Department continues to monitor and publish bi-annual statistics on the number of prescriptions for mefloquine (also known as Larium) given to UK Armed Forces personnel at Ministry of Defence medical facilities since 12 September 2016.
The full release of information can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on investigating drone intrusion incidents at (a) RAF Mildenhall, (b) RAF Lakenheath and (c) RAF Feltwell (i) during and (ii) since November 2024, with reference to the presence at each location of individuals connected with a hostile foreign state; and what steps he is taking to counter such intrusions in the future.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence continues to work in partnership with our allies and the appropriate civilian authorities.
We take the safety and security of our sites seriously and we maintain robust security measures, including counter-drone capabilities. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign and malign interference.
The National Security Act has additionally delivered a range of measures to strengthen the UK’s efforts to detect, deter and disrupt state threats.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria are applied by the Defence Medical Services to distinguish the adverse effects caused by the prescribing of Lariam (Mefloquine) to service personnel as an anti-malarial prophylaxis and those caused by post traumatic stress disorder; what treatment options are available for alleviating the effects of Lariam toxicity; and how many service personnel have been discharged in each of the past 10 years as a result of Lariam toxicity effects.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
People taking mefloquine (also known as Larium) can experience abnormal dreams, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and more rarely psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations, agitations and psychosis have also been reported. This differs to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) where very specific criteria must be met to establish a diagnosis. Essential to this diagnosis is that the individual will have been exposed to an extremely threatening or horrific event or a series of events.
Given the specifics required for the diagnosis of PTSD, is it unlikely for those presenting with any side effects of taking mefloquine to be confused with that of PTSD.
The Ministry of Defence does not recognise the term ‘Larium toxicity’ however, the side effects that may be experienced whilst taking mefloquine will be treated according to the diagnosis; for example, if the patient is experiencing depressive symptoms, the treatment for depression will be instigated.
The information requested about the numbers of personnel discharged over the previous 10 years whilst experiencing symptoms related to taking mefloquine, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to facilitate the (a) recovery and (b) disclosure of medical records held in (i) the Merlin database and (ii) other Departmental archives of service personnel present at UK atomic bomb tests.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.
I have asked officials to look seriously into unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority, and this is now underway.
This work will enable us to better understand what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on the security of the Diego Garcia strategic base; whether he consulted Lord Robertson of Port Ellen in his capacity as Head of the Strategic Defence Review before this decision was taken; and whether the Government negotiated enforceable guarantees to prevent the use of other Chagos Islands to (a) spy upon and (b) otherwise compromise the military utility of the Diego Garcia strategic base.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This historic agreement protects the long-term secure operation of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia with Mauritius, which plays such a crucial role in regional and international security. We have full Mauritian backing for robust security arrangements, including preventing foreign armed forces from establishing themselves on the outer islands, or otherwise undermining the effective operation of the base, meaning the base is more protected than ever from foreign malign influence in a more insecure world. This deal has been welcomed by a range of key international partners, including the US and India. It is our intention to pursue ratification in 2025 by submitting the treaty and a Bill to Parliament for scrutiny.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of gas by Russia in Ukraine; and whether he plans to supply respirators to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence continues to assess and monitor the evolving threat picture in Ukraine, including Russian use of chemicals as a method of warfare. The UK has been at the forefront of international support and assistance to the armed forces of Ukraine and has provided respirators and decontamination kits, as well as other protective measures to enhance Ukraine's protective capabilities against chemical weapons.
Our commitment to Ukraine is unwavering, we continue to work closely with our international partners to coordinate counter-CBRN support and assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports of the outsourcing by a commercial subcontractor of work to coders based in Belarus; what remedial steps he has taken; whether he has made changes to his Department's procedures; and whether sanctions have been imposed.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Both the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Rolls-Royce Submarines (RRS) investigated a subcontractor's outsourcing of development work for a RRS intranet page; this IT system is separate to the RRS classified systems. The investigation found no evidence that Belarusian nationals had access to sensitive information and concluded that no change to MOD procurement policy was required. No formal sanctions were imposed.
Defence took steps to ensure and confirm that there had been no compromise of classified information. The safety and security of the United Kingdom's nuclear submarines and the Deterrent, including the Service personnel who operate it, remain our highest priority. Our security processes are under constant review to ensure best practice.