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Written Question
Armed Forces
Tuesday 20th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by The Earl of Minto on 7 December 2023 (HL Deb col 1570), what plans they have to regularise the process of cost forecasting among the three armed services.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department's current operating model, where responsibility for managing the equipment plan is delegated to Top Level Budget Holders, acknowledges that they have different financial positions and carry a balance between capability and financial risk.

I remain committed to reviewing the format of future equipment plan reports to ensure they remain fit for purpose.


Written Question
AUKUS: Expenditure
Wednesday 29th November 2023

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Goldie on 3 July (HL Deb col 987), what estimate they have made of the planned UK expenditure consequent on the AUKUS agreement.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As announced in the Integrated Review Refresh, we are providing £2 billion this year and £2.95 billion next year to Defence. Of this new money, £3 billion will be invested across the defence nuclear enterprise, supporting areas such as the construction of industrial infrastructure, allowing us to continue to grow our graduate and apprentice nuclear skills programmes, and enhancing support to in-service submarines. This will support the overall delivery of AUKUS, while longer-term funding will be revisited at the next Spending Review.


Written Question
Army
Wednesday 29th November 2023

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operational readiness and viability of the UK’s Warfighting 3rd Division.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Warfighting capability remains the cornerstone of deterrence and the bedrock of a world-class British Army. The 3rd (UK) Division is at the heart of this, able to manage a multi-domain battle in ever greater depth; designed to act with NATO and capable of providing a framework for Allies.

The Army constantly keeps its warfighting capability under review, and regularly assesses the adequacy of its readiness. It is embracing the ever-changing global landscape and ensuring that it will be more capable against peer adversaries and integrated with our NATO Allies and partners.


Written Question
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Armed Forces
Monday 7th August 2023

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners in respect of the possibility of deploying UK military personnel to support (1) EUFOR’s Operation Althea, or (2) NATO headquarters in Sarajevo.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The UK Government regularly discusses maintaining stability in the Western Balkans with our NATO Allies and European partners. The UK provides support for EUFOR ALTHEA through NATO (the operation is carried out with recourse to NATO assets and capabilities) and coordinated bilateral exercising. The UK will support the renewal of EUFOR's UN Security Council mandate, due by November.

The UK already has military personnel deployed to NATO's headquarters in Sarajevo.


Written Question
Belarus: Military Exercises
Wednesday 7th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks associated with any increase in (1) the duration, (2) the proximity, and (3) the intensity, of military exercising undertaken by (a) NATO, (b) Russia, and (c) Belarus, in and around Belarus; and what steps are being taken to reduce those risks.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The Ministry of Defence monitors all military exercising taking place in and around Belarus. Any increase in duration, proximity and intensity of military exercising in or near Belarus only serves to increase regional tensions. The UK and NATO take the appropriate steps to reduce any risks when conducting military exercises near Belarus and where necessary, alter training due to the associated risks.

The UK and Belarus maintain a cooperative relationship; particularly in the areas of arms control and the de-escalation of tensions in the Eastern Neighbourhood. This policy of transparency helps to build confidence and reduce risks associated with any increases in duration, proximity or intensity of military exercises. Though the UK has suspended Defence Engagement with Belarus we still maintain dialogue in order to reduce risks from all sides.


Written Question
Yemen: Military Intervention
Tuesday 28th July 2020

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the written answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Defence on 13 July (68798), how many of the 535 incidents referred to in the "Tracker" database record a civilian harm incident as a "mistake" by the Saudi-led coalition.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

As explained by the International Trade Secretary on 7 July 2020, all of the allegations recorded on the Tracker have been subject to detailed analysis by reference to the relevant principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and in the light of all the information and intelligence available. An evaluation has then been made, in respect of each incident, whether it is possible that it constitutes a breach of IHL or whether it is unlikely that it represents a breach. The assessment of whether it is possible that an incident constituted a breach of IHL uses all available sources of information, including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive. We are therefore not able to go into the details of individual assessments.


Written Question
International Science and Technology Centre
Wednesday 25th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to affirm their commitment to the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC); and what consideration they have given to the UK’s future membership of the ISTC as a state party.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The Government recognises that the ISTC has played a valuable role in preventing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction-related scientific and technical expertise from former Soviet programmes, and mitigating broader chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks. However, HMG currently funds only a small number of projects through the ISTC. After careful consideration, we have therefore concluded that the recent and currently anticipated level of UK engagement with the ISTC would not warrant the expected costs of future UK membership of the ISTC as a Funding Party. The UK will continue to play a leading international role in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related expertise, and mitigating CBRN risks, including funding projects through the ISTC, where appropriate.


Written Question
Electronic Warfare
Thursday 9th May 2019

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a comprehensive cyber security assessment procedure for proposed weapon systems that operate at a high level of complexity.

Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses a number of information assurance and cyber security activities to ensure weapon systems are appropriately protected. However, for the purpose of safeguarding national security, the MOD does not comment publicly on the specifics of these activities.


Written Question
Autonomous Weapons
Thursday 9th May 2019

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the Ministry of Defence's definition of an autonomous weapons system since the publication of the report of the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee AI in the UK: Ready, Willing and Able on 16 April 2018.

Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

Her Majesty's Government has received some representations on this subject from Parliamentarians. The House of Lords report recommended that "the UK's definition of autonomous weapons should be realigned to be the same, or similar, as that used by the rest of the world". However, the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Group of Government Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems is yet to achieve consensus on an internationally accepted definition or set of characteristics for autonomous weapons.


Written Question
Autonomous Weapons
Thursday 9th May 2019

Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the relationship between increasing autonomy in weapons systems and cyber security.

Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

Cyber security considerations are an integral part of the development and accreditation of military capabilities. The Ministry of Defence research programme also funds research on cyber security across the range of military capabilities, including those that could have an autonomous element. The United Kingdom does not possess fully autonomous weapon systems and has no intention of developing them.