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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s planning assumptions are for formulating the in-service date for the first of the Vanguard-successor submarines.

Harriett Baldwin

As set out in Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we expect the first Successor submarine to enter service in the early 2030s. I am witholding details of the planning assumptions for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many horses have been euthanized by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Lancaster

The numbers of horses euthanised by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in each month up to June 2016 are provided in the table below.

Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety.

Where possible, Military Working Animals (MWAs) at the end of their service life will be rehomed however sadly there are some occasions where veterinary reasons indicate that re-homing would compromise the welfare of the animal, or rehoming would pose an unacceptable risk to public safety as a result of the animal’s service life. The decision to euthanise an MWA must always be balanced and pragmatic, and consider a range of factors including the MOD covenant with society which allows us to use animals in Defence. This covenant requires us to:

Make decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare by balancing scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values; and

Ensure animals are treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when necessary, provided a humane death.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military working dogs have been euthanized by his Department in the last 12 months.

Mark Lancaster

A total of 62 Military Working Dogs were euthanised by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) during the 12 month period up to June 2016. Figures by month are provided in the table below.

Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the consequences for the viability of the Successor submarine programme of the conclusions of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s assessment of that programme.

Harriett Baldwin

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s assessment of the Successor submarine programme accords with our own. That is why we have established a new Director General Nuclear sponsor organisation and will set up a new submarine delivery body, as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015. The assessment recognises the complexity and scale of delivering the most advanced submarines ever commissioned by the Royal Navy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has of the out-of-service dates for each of the Vanguard-class submarines.

Harriett Baldwin

The UK’s Vanguard Class submarines will begin to leave service by the early 2030s as the Successor submarines are introduced into service. I am withholding their respective planned out-of-service and in-service dates for the purpose of safeguarding national security.