Jan. 26 2024
Source Page: Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA): Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023Found: of seven nuclear- powered attack submarines.
Mentions:
1: Robertson, Angus (SNP - Edinburgh Central) to attempts to silence that voice; having a nuclear-free Scotland or spending billions of pounds on Trident - Speech Link
2: Bibby, Neil (Lab - West Scotland) that there are no details in the Scottish Government’s paper on the number of warships, the number of submarines - Speech Link
3: Brown, Keith (SNP - Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) What is the sound of a nuclear Trident submarine drill? It is a “plop” in the water. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Neale Hanvey (Alba - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) If he will make an estimate of the annual maintenance and running costs of the Trident nuclear programme - Speech Link
2: James Cartlidge (Con - South Suffolk) , she will not be surprised to hear that we do not comment on operational matters in respect of our submarines - Speech Link
3: Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP - West Dunbartonshire) that there are no further cuts to conventional forces or elsewhere because of the uncapped, runaway Trident - Speech Link
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 - Shadow Secretary of State for 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: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the total lifetime cost of the Trident renewal programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Dreadnought submarine programme remains within overall budget and on track for the first of class, HMS Dreadnought, to enter service in the early 2030s.
Inflation has remained higher than expected for an extended period and had an adverse impact on the cost forecasts for this programme when compared to the forecasts from a year earlier.
As the programme is in its preliminary phases, it is too early to provide cost estimates for the replacement warhead programme.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of recent trends in inflation rates on (a) the total lifetime cost of and (b) expenditure over the next five financial years on the Trident renewal programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Dreadnought submarine programme remains within overall budget and on track for the first of class, HMS Dreadnought, to enter service in the early 2030s.
Inflation has remained higher than expected for an extended period and had an adverse impact on the cost forecasts for this programme when compared to the forecasts from a year earlier.
As the programme is in its preliminary phases, it is too early to provide cost estimates for the replacement warhead 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 the timescale is for the replacement of each of the Vanguard class submarines.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for 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 - Shadow Secretary of State for 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, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of replacing each Vanguard class submarine under the Trident nuclear programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Replacing the Vanguard Class, the Dreadnought submarine programme remains on track to deliver to schedule and within the original £31 billion plus £10 billion contingency budget made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
Mentions:
1: Mark Francois (CON - Rayleigh and Wickford) Its record on submarines is even worse, taking seven years to refit a Trident boat. - Speech Link
2: James Cartlidge (CON - South Suffolk) Friend, but he will appreciate that we do not comment on the operational availability of submarines, - Speech Link