Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the security of convoys transporting nuclear warheads by road.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
All vehicles involved in the transportation of nuclear warheads are subject to a rigorous maintenance and inspection regime, carried out by highly skilled and experienced technicians. Inspections are made prior to each use, as well as six monthly safety and annual mandatory inspections.
The costs of the transportation of nuclear warheads between RNAD Coulport and AWE Burghfield are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The security of the nuclear warhead convoy was assessed by Ministry of Defence Security Advisors in September 2016 as overall 'satisfactory', demonstrating that 'performance meets the required policy standard'.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on the transportation of nuclear warheads between RNAD Coulport and AWE Burghfield in each of the last three years.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
All vehicles involved in the transportation of nuclear warheads are subject to a rigorous maintenance and inspection regime, carried out by highly skilled and experienced technicians. Inspections are made prior to each use, as well as six monthly safety and annual mandatory inspections.
The costs of the transportation of nuclear warheads between RNAD Coulport and AWE Burghfield are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The security of the nuclear warhead convoy was assessed by Ministry of Defence Security Advisors in September 2016 as overall 'satisfactory', demonstrating that 'performance meets the required policy standard'.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the reliability of the vehicles involved in the transportation of nuclear warheads; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
All vehicles involved in the transportation of nuclear warheads are subject to a rigorous maintenance and inspection regime, carried out by highly skilled and experienced technicians. Inspections are made prior to each use, as well as six monthly safety and annual mandatory inspections.
The costs of the transportation of nuclear warheads between RNAD Coulport and AWE Burghfield are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The security of the nuclear warhead convoy was assessed by Ministry of Defence Security Advisors in September 2016 as overall 'satisfactory', demonstrating that 'performance meets the required policy standard'.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2016 to Question 41376, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of evidence provided by Amnesty International on the alleged use of UK-produced BL-755 cluster munitions by the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen.
Answered by Michael Fallon
The Government takes these allegations very seriously. We have analysed the case carefully and raised the issue with the Saudi-led Coalition.
The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those weapons might be used in a serious violation of IHL. This is kept under careful and continual review.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to fund further research into Gulf War Syndrome.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
No recent discussions have taken place with the Secretary of State for Health regarding gulf war syndrome.
The Ministry of Defence continues to keep a watching brief on gulf veterans illness but in line with the Medical Research Council review of 2003 has no plans to institute further research either on causation or clinical management.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
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 Health on Gulf War Syndrome.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
No recent discussions have taken place with the Secretary of State for Health regarding gulf war syndrome.
The Ministry of Defence continues to keep a watching brief on gulf veterans illness but in line with the Medical Research Council review of 2003 has no plans to institute further research either on causation or clinical management.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information the Government holds on stockpiles of cluster munitions in countries other than the UK.
Answered by Philip Dunne
At least 108 nations are signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Ministry of Defence does not routinely hold information on whether non-signatories possess cluster munitions and their stockpiles.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Europe of 8 June 2016, Official Report, column 138WH, what assessments were last carried out on (a) whether the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen were targeting civilians and (b) respect for and compliance with international humanitarian law; and if he will place in the Library copies of documentation used in such assessments.
Answered by Michael Fallon
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) analyses allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations arising from air strikes in Yemen conducted by the coalition. The MOD has not assessed that the coalition is deliberately targeting civilians.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what evidence he has received on the possible use of cluster munitions in Yemen by Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Michael Fallon
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have alerted us to their online reports on the use of cluster munitions in Yemen, which we are analysing.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) of his Department's civilian staff based in the UK, (b) military personnel based in the UK, (c) of his Department's civilian staff based in Saudi Arabia and (d) military personnel based in Saudi Arabia were employed by the (i) Saudi Arabian National Guard Communications Project and (ii) Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Project on 1 April in each of the last six years.
Answered by Michael Fallon
The number of civilian and military personnel based in the UK and Saudi Arabia who were employed by the Saudi Arabian National Guard Communications Project (SANGCOM) and the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Projects (MODSAP) on 1 April in each of the last six years is shown in the table below. The Saudi Arabian Government reimburses the UK MOD for these staff costs and there is, therefore, no cost to the UK taxpayer.
Manpower as at 1 April 2016 | SANGCOM Project | MODSAP |
UK-based Civilian Staff | 2 | 73 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 31 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 31 | 37 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 20 | 68 |
Manpower as at 1 April 2015 |
|
|
UK-based Civilian Staff | 2 | 71 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 35 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 34 | 33 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 20 | 61 |
Manpower as at 1 April 2014 |
|
|
UK-based Civilian Staff | 1 | 69 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 42 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 28 | 32 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 20 | 50 |
Manpower as at 1 April 2013 |
|
|
UK-based Civilian Staff | 1 | 69 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 44 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 28 | 31 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 21 | 46 |
Manpower as at 1 April 2012 |
|
|
UK-based Civilian Staff | 1 | 69 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 44 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 26 | 34 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 19 | 48 |
Manpower as at 1 April 2011 |
|
|
UK-based Civilian Staff | 1 | 75 |
UK-based Military Staff | 0 | 46 |
Saudi Arabia-based Civilian Staff | 21 | 32 |
Saudi Arabia-based Military Staff | 19 | 60 |