Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of whether changes are required for the armoured fighting vehicle capability in order to maintain the UK's contribution to NATO’s conventional deterrence tasks.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
A variety of measures to modernise our armoured vehicle capabilities are being considered through the Integrated Review, which will enable the UK to continue to deliver a credible and highly effective armoured capability to NATO's conventional deterrence tasks over the coming decades.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has for a Land Industrial Strategy, including the role of armoured vehicle and turret manufacturing and production in that strategy.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is leading a cross-Government review into the UK's defence and security industrial sectors which seeks to identify how we can enhance our strategic approach to ensure we have competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industries.
As part of this review, the MOD is considering its approach to the land sector including armoured vehicles and sub-systems. The review is ongoing, and its findings are being used to inform the Government's broader Integrated Review, the conclusions of which will be announced in the coming months.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the design maturity of the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme; and what the planned timescale is for providing design acceptance.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
A comprehensive suite of rigorous tests continues, with Design Acceptance due in autumn 2021. Design Acceptance consists of Reliability Growth Trials, which are 75% complete, and Qualification and Verification trials. The Qualification and Verification trials, designed to test the system requirements, have allowed the Army customer to accept 52% of the design to date, with 95% of the requirements due to be submitted and accepted by summer 2021.
HM Government is undertaking the deepest and most radical Review of Britain’s foreign, security, defence, and development policy since the end of the Cold War. Final decisions on Warrior, along with all Defence Capabilities will be subject to this Review. This will include prioritising the capabilities most suited to the evolving character of conflict and to our future defence and security requirements. We do not expect to conclude these deliberations until the spring.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK will remain committed to NATO’s conventional deterrence tasks, including Enhanced Forward Presence; what role the UK will play in those deterrence tasks; and what the planned timescale is for that commitment.
Answered by James Heappey
NATO is the cornerstone of UK defence policy, and we are proud of our enduring commitment to its valuable deterrence role. As the leading European Ally, the UK makes significant contributions to operations, including as framework nation for the enhanced Forward Presence deployment in Estonia as well as in operations and defence activity from the High North to the Baltic region, the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. We regularly contribute to NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission, to the NATO Readiness Force and to Standing NATO Maritime Groups. Working on a rolling timeline of five years, we are firmly commitmed to Estonia's regional security, through eFP and NATO, and I have made it clear that we will continue our presence for as long as it is required.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to deploy a Type 23 Frigate or Type 45 Destroyer as part of the South Atlantic Patrol Tasking.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Royal Navy conducts routine deployments in the Atlantic region. However, for reasons of safeguarding national security, we do not discuss the detail of such operations, as this would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
The Royal Navy also maintains a permanent presence in the South Atlantic in the form of the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel, HMS CLYDE, supported by a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship. The Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Ship, HMS PROTECTOR, also operates in the South Atlantic region for periods of the year.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen military co-operation with Nigeria.
Answered by Mark Francois - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The UK along with other international partners, is providing military, intelligence and development support to assist Nigeria in its efforts to tackle the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and address the root causes of instability. The substantial package of UK assistance includes increased training and capacity building for the Nigerian Armed Forces, and surveillance and intelligence support.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers were enlisted in the Reserves from (a) April to September 2013, (b) April to September 2014, (c) July to September 2013 and (d) July to September 2014.
Answered by Julian Brazier
Statistics showing enlistment into the Reserves are published by Defence Statistics in the Quarterly Personnel Report. The latest such report which shows figures at 1 October was published on 13 November.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-quarterly-personnel-report-2014
For ease of reference I am attaching the relevant page from this report.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officers in the regular forces there have been at each rank between one star, NATO code OF-6, and five star, NATO code OF-10, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The rank structure for Senior Officers in the UK Regular Forces at 1 April in each requested year is presented in the table. The NATO Rank of OF-10 (equivalent to an Army Field Marshal) is normally an honorary rank and is not included in official statistics.
NATO Rank Code
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | ||
| OF-9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | |
| OF-8 | 31 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 27 | |
| OF-7 | 95 | 102 | 101 | 97 | 95 | |
| OF6 | 360 | 343 | 330 | 303 | 308 | |
UK Regular Forces comprises trained and untrained personnel and excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service personnel and mobilised reservists.
NATO Rank Codes equivalence in UK Service Rank is as follows:
OF-9 General/Admiral/Air Chief Marshal; OF-8 Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral/Air Marshal; OF-7 Major General/Rear Admiral/Air Vice Marshal; OF-6 Brigadier/Commodore/Air Commodore.