Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2024 to Question 9950 on Yemen: Military Intervention, which conflicts are covered by his Department's tracker database of alleged violations of international law.
Answered by James Heappey
The "tracker" covers alleged IHL violations during the Saudi Led Coalition's Air Campaign in Yemen.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on surveys to identify buildings on his Department's land in Scotland which may have been constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation determined what buildings on Ministry of Defence land might potentially contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) material based on the period in which they were constructed and their construction type.
Surveys are currently being conducted on all buildings which may have been constructed using RAAC.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has paid the National Trust for Scotland to lease St Kilda for the Deep Sea Range (a) in total and (b) in each year for which lease payments have been made.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not lease a Deep Sea Range at St Kilda. However, parts of St Kilda are leased by the MOD from National Trust Scotland (NTS).
The current 25-year lease between the MOD and NTS began in 2003 at a fixed rent of £100,000 per annum plus VAT. The total rent paid by MOD to NTS for the period 2003 to 2023 is £2.52 million.
In addition, from 2008, the MOD has sub-leased space at St Kilda to the Northern Lighthouse Board at an annual rent payable to the MOD of £5,400. NTS are entitled to a share of this rent; the MOD pays NTS £1,485 plus VAT per annum under this agreement. The total amount paid to NTS from 2008 to 2023 is £28,512.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost of relocating the Deep Sea Range on St Kilda.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We have no plans to provide an estimate of the cost of relocating the Deep Sea Range on St Kilda as it is not Government policy to support such a course of action.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on the Dreadnought programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 31 March 2023, £14.7 billion had been spent on the concept, assessment, and early delivery phases of the Dreadnought Programme.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of nuclear weapons infrastructure.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2024 to Question 7792 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for the replacement of each of the Vanguard class submarines.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The programme to build four ballistic missile submarines to replace the current Vanguard Class remains on track to deliver the first boat in the Dreadnought Class, HMS Dreadnought, into service in the early 2030s.
The planned in-service dates for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Vanguard class submarines are deployed to provide continuous at sea deterrence.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy has provided the Continuous At Sea Deterrent for an unbroken 54 years with Operation RELENTLESS. However, we do not disclose these details for operational security reasons as to do so could or would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability and security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when each Vanguard class submarine has been out of service.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy has provided the Continuous At Sea Deterrent for an unbroken 54 years with Operation RELENTLESS. However, we do not disclose these details for operational security reasons as to do so could or would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability and security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Vanguard class submarines are out of service.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy has provided the Continuous At Sea Deterrent for an unbroken 54 years with Operation RELENTLESS. However, we do not disclose these details for operational security reasons as to do so could or would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability and security of the Armed Forces.