Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is providing logistical and maintenance assistance to Ukraine to support the donation of 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks.
Answered by James Heappey
Equipment support and sustainment are integral parts of the accelerated package of support announced by the Defence Secretary on 16 January 2023.
As well as training the Armed Forces of Ukraine to maintain the tanks, our donation of Challenger 2 includes a crucial equipment support package to enable the Ukrainians to maintain and repair the tanks. This includes two Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicles (CRARRVs), designed to repair and recover damaged tanks on the battlefield.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the Army's operational capability during the upgrade and replacement periods for (a) Warrior and (b) Challenger.
Answered by Alex Chalk
Current capabilities, including Warrior and Challenger 2, will remain effective until new concepts and capabilities are introduced into service throughout the decade, ensuring the Army can continue to meet its operational commitments.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his plans are for the future of the Challenger 2 tanks in service that will not be upgraded to Challenger 3.
Answered by Alex Chalk
A decision on what will happen to the remaining Challenger 2 platforms is currently under review.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department (a) has received evidence of and (b) is investigating allegations that RAF recruitment (i) policy and (ii) practice as at 1 August 2022 contravened the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Royal Air Force has instigated a Non-Statutory Inquiry (NSI) which is looking at its historical recruiting culture. The NSI is due to conclude early next year, therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further while this is ongoing.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Armed Forces Careers Offices prioritised (a) BAME and (b) female candidates for RAF computer based aptitude tests between 26 October and 23 November 2020.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Royal Air Force has instigated a Non-Statutory Inquiry (NSI) which is looking at its historical recruiting culture. The NSI is due to conclude early next year, therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further while this is ongoing.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the RAF diversity statistics.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Diversity statistics for the RAF are published biannually. The latest published statistics are available at the following link:
Biannual_Diversity_Statistics_Publication_April22.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
the next edition of the diversity statistics is expected to be published by 31 January 2023.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 13 December 2018 to Question 200586 on Armed Forces: Radiation Exposure and to National Archives documents Annex G to O92/2534(ASD 26), dated 9 January 1957, and C/6084/PA 1, dated 19 November 1957, where the results of the samples referred to in those documents are held.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Service personnel who were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests may have had blood samples taken throughout their career. Any records taken either before, during or after participation at the UK nuclear weapon tests would be held in individual military medical records in the Government's archives.
These medical records are unlikely to be collated in a form related to samples or incidences, and to ascertain what blood and urine tests may have been undertaken by service personnel would require the individual medical record of each of the personnel present at the UK nuclear tests to be located and reviewed. These records are not held centrally and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
The Atomic Weapons Establishment holds copies of the results of urine radioactivity measurements and blood tests for a small number of individuals where these were included in scientific documentation on the nuclear weapons trials.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what tests his Department has carried out on (a) blood and (b) urine samples taken from people who served at UK nuclear tests between 1952 and 1991.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Service personnel who were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests may have had blood samples taken throughout their career. Any records taken either before, during or after participation at the UK nuclear weapon tests would be held in individual military medical records in the Government's archives.
These medical records are unlikely to be collated in a form related to samples or incidences, and to ascertain what blood and urine tests may have been undertaken by service personnel would require the individual medical record of each of the personnel present at the UK nuclear tests to be located and reviewed. These records are not held centrally and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
The Atomic Weapons Establishment holds copies of the results of urine radioactivity measurements and blood tests for a small number of individuals where these were included in scientific documentation on the nuclear weapons trials.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 38 of the report of the Director of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment on Operation Hurricane, ref AWRE-T1/54, what records his Department holds on urine samples taken from servicemen present at the UK atomic weapons tests in the 1950s.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Service personnel who were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests may have had blood samples taken throughout their career. Any records taken either before, during or after participation at the UK nuclear weapon tests would be held in individual military medical records in the Government's archives.
These medical records are unlikely to be collated in a form related to samples or incidences, and to ascertain what blood and urine tests may have been undertaken by service personnel would require the individual medical record of each of the personnel present at the UK nuclear tests to be located and reviewed. These records are not held centrally and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
The Atomic Weapons Establishment holds copies of the results of urine radioactivity measurements and blood tests for a small number of individuals where these were included in scientific documentation on the nuclear weapons trials.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on data that was gathered from blood samples taken from servicemen (a) before, (b) during and (c) after their service at the UK nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Service personnel who were present at the UK nuclear weapon tests may have had blood samples taken throughout their career. Any records taken either before, during or after participation at the UK nuclear weapon tests would be held in individual military medical records in the Government's archives.
These medical records are unlikely to be collated in a form related to samples or incidences, and to ascertain what blood and urine tests may have been undertaken by service personnel would require the individual medical record of each of the personnel present at the UK nuclear tests to be located and reviewed. These records are not held centrally and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
The Atomic Weapons Establishment holds copies of the results of urine radioactivity measurements and blood tests for a small number of individuals where these were included in scientific documentation on the nuclear weapons trials.