Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the planned relocation of (a) 160 Brigade HQ and (b) HMS Cambria will take place.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
In relation to the relocation of 160 Brigade HQ I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 February 2018 to Question 126435.
On current plans, the Royal Navy expects to complete the relocation of HMS CAMBRIA in autumn 2019.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected date for completion of the transfer of HQ160 Brigade (Army) from Brecon to St Athan is.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As set out in the Better Defence Estates Strategy, announced by the former Secretary of State on 7 November 2016 (Official Report, column 1286), the Headquarters 160th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Wales will be relocated within Wales from Brecon Barracks before the planned disposal of that site by 2027. Further details have yet to be confirmed.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for a further uplift of UK military personnel in Afghanistan as a result of recent (a) Taliban and (b) Daesh terrorist attacks in that country.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As announced by the Defence Secretary on 27 November 2017 (Official Report, column 20), the UK will increase its troop contribution in Afghanistan from 500 to 650 in 2018. These troops will be deployed in non-combat roles, where they will continue to support the development of the Afghan Army, Police and Air Force. The Ministry of Defence keeps its troop numbers in Afghanistan under constant review to ensure they remain suited for the needs of the mission.
Regarding the recent Taliban and Daesh attacks, the UK stands resolutely with Afghanistan against terrorism and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are responsible for delivering their own security and dealing with the insurgent threat, with the NATO coalition training, advising and assisting them in their efforts.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of products purchased by the Royal Navy from (a) Screwfix, (b) Halfords, (c) Wickes, (d) Maplin and (e) HSS Tool Hire broken down by vessel or unit in each of the last 3 years.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent by the RAF from the public purse with (a) Halfords, (b) Screwfix, (c) Wickes, (d) HSS Tool Hire and (e) Maplin by accounting unit in each of the last three years.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK Officer Cadets completed their Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each course since the start of 2015.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The number of UK Officer Cadets who commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst since 1 January 2015 is shown below:
Date Course Finished | Number of Regular Officers Commissioned* |
April 2015 | 160 |
August 2015 | 170 |
December 2015 | 140 |
April 2016 | 170 |
August 2016 | 180 |
December 2016 | 150 |
April 2017 | 160 |
August 2017 | 200 |
*Figures have been rounded to five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many training places were taken up in the September 2017 Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
220 officer cadets entered the September 2017 commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Figures have been rounded to five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the assessed Army intake requirement for Officers in each of the Commissioning Course periods for the last three years at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 July 2017 to Question 1968, and my subsequent letter of 17 July 2017; which set out the Commissioning Course capacity and uptake. Official statistics for regular officer recruitment targets are not produced.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the total number of (a) available regular training places and (b) places that have been filled at (i) ITC Catterick, (ii) ATC Pirbright, (iii) ATC Winchester, (iv) ATC Harrogate and (v) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each of the last six months, broken down by course.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 July 2017 to Question 1968 and my subsequent letter of 17 July 2017. The numbers of the available regular training places and places that have been filled since June 2017 are shown below.
Course capacity is planned at the beginning of the year to meet the Army requirement and takes into consideration the regular intake requirement, training wastage, compliance with instructor to student ratio, separate sex courses and the management margin. The total number of initial training places identified does not therefore represent the Army intake requirement for Regular officers or soldiers.
Regular Soldier
Catterick Common Infantry Course Standard
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
July 2017 | 96 | 35 |
| ||||
| 149 | 70 |
| ||||
August 2017 | 97 | 100 |
| ||||
September 2017 | 101 | 80 |
| ||||
| 97 | 70 |
| ||||
October 2017 | 149 | 100 |
| ||||
| 97 | 50 |
| ||||
Catterick Common Infantry Course Guards | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
July 2017 | 48 | 20 |
| ||||
August 2017 | 48 | 25 |
| ||||
September 2017 | 48 | 35 |
| ||||
October 2017 | 48 | 20 |
| ||||
Catterick Common Infantry Course Para | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
September 2017 | 52 | 50 |
| ||||
Standard Entry Pirbright | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
July 2017 | 144 | 110 |
| ||||
| 96 | 45 |
| ||||
| 50 | 20 |
| ||||
| 100 | 65 |
| ||||
August 2017 | 35 | 20 |
| ||||
| 102 | 75 |
| ||||
| 148 | 135 |
| ||||
| 46 | 30 |
| ||||
| 97 | 85 |
| ||||
September 2017 | 148 | 125 |
| ||||
| 42 | 20 |
| ||||
| 103 | 80 |
| ||||
October 2017 | 50 | 40 |
| ||||
| 99 | 90 |
| ||||
| 48 | 35 |
| ||||
| 96 | 85 |
| ||||
| 98 | 80 |
| ||||
| 97 | 95 |
| ||||
| 47 | 20 |
| ||||
| 52 | 45 |
| ||||
Standard Entry Winchester | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
July 2017 | 40 | 25 |
| ||||
| 80 | 50 |
| ||||
Junior Entry Short Course Harrogate | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
September 2017 | 48 | 45 |
| ||||
| 285 | 225 |
| ||||
October 2017 | 3 | 5 |
| ||||
Junior Entry Long Course Harrogate | |||||||
Month | Total Training Places | Total Filled |
| ||||
October 2017 | 48 | 50 |
| ||||
| 616 | 580 |
| ||||
| 8 | 5 |
| ||||
Regular Officer
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Regular Officer Start of Course | UK Officer Total Training Places | Total Filled |
May 2017 | 208 | 210 |
September 2017 | 212 | 215 |
For officer training, the capacity of each course is 270, but this will include a variable number of overseas officer cadets.
Data in the tables have been taken from information used to manage the loading of courses. They are single service estimates which have not been validated and have not been subject to the same level of quality checks as official defence statistics.
Figures have been rounded to 5 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding his Department has set aside for contingencies relating to the UK leaving the EU in the (a) current and (b) 2018-19 financial year.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence has worked closely across Government to identify costs that would arise from any necessary contingency action. These costs have been scoped but the Department has not yet needed to commit any expenditure.
The evolution and complexity of the challenges facing us require the UK and EU to continue to collaborate closely in foreign policy, defence and development - to uphold and project our shared values, combat our shared threats, and promote our mutual prosperity.
The Government therefore remains confident a deal will be struck and this funding will not be required.