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Written Question
Defence: Procurement
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's assessment of companies against its social value criteria gives equal weighting to benefits that are brought (a) direct to the UK and (b) overseas.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) applies the Social Value Model to all of its in-scope competitive procurements, in accordance with the Cabinet Office Social Value Policy. The MOD ensures correct and consistent application of the Social Value Model through additional policy, guidance, training and through engagement with industry through the Defence Supplier Forum. Its application is monitored through appropriate governance, reporting and reviews.

Weightings are applied to the award criteria, and supplier proposals are assessed qualitatively not quantitively in tender evaluation. The Social Value Model does not discriminate based on where social value is delivered. However where appropriate, and having due regard to UK market access obligations to our international fair-trade agreements (FTAs), procurements may specify, within their social value requirement, the social value to be delivered in specific geographical locations.

MOD currently applies Cabinet Office Social Value rules, and further, Defence specific values. For example, the New Medium Helicopter procurement has a strong weighting for UK workshare and exportability. To ensure the maximum impact of the Integrated Procurement Model, particular in supporting the development of sovereign capability, I will be undertaking a rapid review of how MOD applies social content rules on Defence Procurement.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Procurement
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Sarah Atherton (Conservative - Wrexham)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the social value model is applied (a) correctly and (b) consistently in his Department's procurement processes.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) applies the Social Value Model to all of its in-scope competitive procurements, in accordance with the Cabinet Office Social Value Policy. The MOD ensures correct and consistent application of the Social Value Model through additional policy, guidance, training and through engagement with industry through the Defence Supplier Forum. Its application is monitored through appropriate governance, reporting and reviews.

Weightings are applied to the award criteria, and supplier proposals are assessed qualitatively not quantitively in tender evaluation. The Social Value Model does not discriminate based on where social value is delivered. However where appropriate, and having due regard to UK market access obligations to our international fair-trade agreements (FTAs), procurements may specify, within their social value requirement, the social value to be delivered in specific geographical locations.

MOD currently applies Cabinet Office Social Value rules, and further, Defence specific values. For example, the New Medium Helicopter procurement has a strong weighting for UK workshare and exportability. To ensure the maximum impact of the Integrated Procurement Model, particular in supporting the development of sovereign capability, I will be undertaking a rapid review of how MOD applies social content rules on Defence Procurement.


Written Question
Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Torpedoes
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for integrating the Sting Ray Torpedo onto the Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Integration of Sting Ray Mod 1 has commenced. The associated schedule is still being developed, but the intent is to integrate this sovereign capability at the earliest opportunity.


Written Question
Aircraft Carriers: Military Aircraft
Friday 9th February 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy o the ability of the UK to field a wholly sovereign Carrier Strike Group.

Answered by James Heappey

The composition and size of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployments are tailored to meet the operational requirement and all options are continuously reviewed to ensure optimum Royal Navy output. A UK Carrier Strike Group can routinely deploy and operate with allies and partners, including those from Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO. Regardless of any integration of international escorts and aircraft during a deployment, we will always retain a sovereign capability giving us the ability to operate the UK Carrier Strike Group in an independent sovereign manner.


Written Question
Aircraft Carriers
Friday 9th February 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the operational independence of the UK Carrier Strike Group.

Answered by James Heappey

The composition and size of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployments are tailored to meet the operational requirement and all options are continuously reviewed to ensure optimum Royal Navy output. A UK Carrier Strike Group can routinely deploy and operate with allies and partners, including those from Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO. Regardless of any integration of international escorts and aircraft during a deployment, we will always retain a sovereign capability giving us the ability to operate the UK Carrier Strike Group in an independent sovereign manner.


Written Question
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth
Friday 9th February 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the operational future of the (a) HMS Prince of Wales and (b) HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.

Answered by James Heappey

The purpose of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales is to provide the UK a Carrier Strike Group (CSG) capability. A CSG is a secure, versatile, agile and survivable, well-found sovereign operating base that exerts global influence through power projection, which, enabled by sea control and with minimal risk, delivers strike warfare against targets ashore.

On current plans the out of service date for the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers is 2069.


Written Question
Ukraine: Ammunition
Friday 12th January 2024

Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help increase production of 155mm shells for Ukraine.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) placed an order in June 2023 with BAE Systems to provide an eight-fold increase in production capability of 155mm shells. The MOD contract is for significant initial quantities of 155mm shells which will reinstate and build sovereign capability and stockpiles.

In respect of artillery ammunition being providing to Ukraine, since the start of the conflict, the UK has donated over 300,000 rounds of artillery ammunition - including 155mm and Former Soviet Union calibres.


Written Question
Defence: Exports
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2023 to Question 1813 on Defence: Exports, what criteria are used to assess export potential.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

HMG assesses defence export opportunities against a range of criteria: contribution to political objectives and international relationships; maintenance of sovereign industrial capability; the benefits accrued to HMG through economies of scale; and, contribution to UK prosperity objectives. In addition, the views of the industry commercial lead for the export campaign are taken into consideration. All assessments are conducted in the context of our robust and transparent export control regime for military, dual-use, and other sensitive goods and technologies.


Written Question
Skynet
Thursday 14th December 2023

Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for the UK to maintain full sovereign control of the Skynet satellite constellation into the future.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

SKYNET 6 is the UK MOD’s strategic highly assured and protected satellite communications (SATCOM) capability. The criticality of maintaining Freedom of Action and Operational Independence, and therefore ‘sovereign control’ of this national capability, has been a firm requirement and has been verified every year since programme inception. To meet all known threats and to provide assured positive Command and Control of UK Armed Forces and support to other Government departments necessitates an appropriate level of UK ‘ownership’, as defined in the Defence Space Strategy and the MOD’s Assured Capability framework. This is delivered by balancing UK-led activities with the use of allied networks and the global commercial market, where appropriate.


Written Question
National Security: Cybersecurity
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the delivery date is for the Joint Crypt Key Programme.

Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

The Joint Crypt Key Programme is delivering incrementally, and in 2022 delivered modernised End Crypto Devices to the Navy, with new sovereign communications modes and improved cryptographic interoperability standards for future crypt devices. It is presently upgrading the military cryptographic key management infrastructure. The programme will continue to sustain and modernise Defence’s high grade crypt key capabilities, with a clear programme of annual capability delivery milestones, and is expected to achieve Full Operating Capability in 2035.