Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Red Arrows will go on tour to foreign countries in the next three years; and what recent assessment he has made of the effect on UK based air shows of future Red Arrows international tours.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Red Arrows have a long history of overseas tours showcasing Britain at its best and will continue to undertake them. However, at this stage future overseas tours have not been confirmed.
The RAF fully considers the overall benefits of Red Arrows tours around the UK and weighs this against the benefits of displaying overseas.
Whilst overseas tours may limit the number of displays the Red Arrows can give in the UK during the summer display season, considerable effort is made to maximise the Red Arrows appearances in the UK. The RAF's other display assets including Typhoon, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Falcons Parachute Team will continue to be available for airshows.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the continued effective patrolling of the (a) North Sea, (b) English Channel, (c) Western Approaches, (d) Bristol Channel and (e) Irish Sea; and what plans he has to increase the number of vessels based at the South Atlantic station.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Royal Navy has a range of vessels that contribute to patrolling the waters of the UK. Those vessels are tasked to reflect the day to day operational demand, including supporting and working with Other Government Departments.
Force levels in the South Atlantic are regularly kept under review, and will be adjusted to meet the operational demand.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the continued effective operation of the Fisheries Protection patrol in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials are working closely with colleagues from across Government to manage the consequences of exiting the EU under a 'no deal' scenario. We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal.
That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved. But it is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, so we have already carried out significant 'no deal' preparations for the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal.
As part of the Department's 2018-19 EU exit allocation from Her Majesty's Treasury, funding was provided to sustain an enhanced number of Offshore Patrol Vessels to ensure that the MOD has the ability to meet the anticipated additional Fisheries Protection requests from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following the UK departure from the EU.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when (a) HMS Medway and (b) HMS Trent will be completed for deployment.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As announced by the Secretary of State for Defence onboard HMS TYNE on 22 November 2018, the Royal Navy is expected to have all the Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels, which includes HMS MEDWAY and HMS TRENT, by the end of 2020.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to place new orders for Hawk Trainers for the Royal Air Force.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2017 to Question 107787 to the hon. Member for Kingston Upon Hull North (Diana Johnson).
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will give consideration to retaining UK aerospace design and manufacturing capability by taking into account supply chains when purchasing new aircraft.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
We recognise the important contribution the UK's Defence Aerospace Industry makes to the UK's national security and prosperity.
Through the Future Combat Air Strategy Technology Initiative (FCAS TI), announced as part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review settlement, we are pursuing a national programme to ensure the UK retains the skills and capabilities necessary to maintain our place as a global leader in this area including in the wider supply chain.
We continue to review the defence industrial landscape, including in the UK aerospace sector to better understand our longer-term requirements and delivery options including the potential for international partnering, industry's appetite to invest, adjacent civil investment and overall affordability. Our review process considers the broader supply chain and will be taken into consideration in future procurement decisions. In addition, the refreshed Defence Industrial Policy will further explain how our investment choices take account of factors contributing to a more dynamic and productive UK economy, in which the UK defence supply chain plays a crucial part.