The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total amount is of the financial risk provision within the Joint Strike Fighter programme budget.
Mr Philip Dunne
The financial risk provision within the UK Joint Strike Fighter Programme has been calculated in line with Ministry of Defence policy. The Department does not publish its financial risk provision as to do so could undermine its commercial position.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the major factors that could change the unit production cost of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence has a comprehensive understanding of all major factors that effect unit production cost. These are constantly managed as part of our procurement and risk management process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the unit production cost of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence routinely monitors the unit production cost for the Joint Strike Fighter as part of its normal procurement activity. The Department does not publish cost estimates as to do so would undermine its commercial position.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on Atomic Weapons Establishment facilities at Aldermaston in each of the last five years.
Mr Philip Dunne
Expenditure specifically on AWE facilities at Aldermaston is not held in the format requested. Contract payments for AWE are made against an agreed programme of work that covers all AWE sites; Aldermaston, Burghfield and Blacknest. These costs are not recorded according to site.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions a foreign-requested aircraft has provided search and rescue assistance over UK territorial waters in each of the last three years; what role each such aircraft played; what the location of each incident was; and whether each occurrence was in response to obligations under Annex 12 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Mr Mark Francois
I refer the hon. Member to the answers previously given to him on 22 November 2013 (Official Report, column 1046W) and 27 March 2012 (Official Report, column 1054W).
Between 4 November 2013 and 5 June 2014 there have been five occasions where an Irish helicopter was requested by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre to provide search and rescue assistance over UK territorial waters. Four of these were in Northern Ireland. These were in response to obligations under Annex 12 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Details of the five incidents are shown below:
| Date | Aircraft | Aircraft Role | Location |
| 15 November 2013 | Irish Coastguard Helicopter | Ditched Aircraft | Enniskillen, Northern Ireland |
| 12 February 2014 | Irish Coastguard Helicopter | Topcover for lifeboat | Mull of Kintyre, Scotland |
| 16 February 2014 | Irish Coastguard Helicopter | Individual with knee injury | Binnian, Northern Ireland |
| 21 March 2014 | Irish Coastguard Helicopter | Individual with hip injury | Rathlin island, Northern Ireland |
| 16 May 2014 | Irish Coastguard Helicopter | Capsized individual | Enniskillin, Northern Ireland |
Detailed statistics on UK military SAR activity can be found on the Government website at the following link:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/release-calendar/index.html?newquery=*&uday=0&umonth=0&uyear=0&title=Military+Search+and+Rescue+Monthly+Statistic&pagetype=calendar-entry&lday=&lmonth=&lyear=
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many high-temperature concrete vertical landing pads will be constructed to accommodate the Joint Strike Fighter; where they will be located; and what estimate he has made of their cost.
Mr Philip Dunne
On current plans there will be three high-temperature concrete vertical landing pads constructed to accommodate the Joint Strike Fighter. These landing pads will be located at RAF Marham and the estimated cost is in the region of £7.5 million. This figure will be refined once planning for this matter progresses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at which RAF bases the Joint Strike Fighter can regularly land vertically.
Mr Philip Dunne
RAF Marham is planned to be the only RAF base in the UK at which the Joint Strike Fighter can conduct vertical landings regularly. The Joint Strike Fighter will of course be able to land conventionally and conduct slow landings at other RAF bases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what modifications to the original design of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers were necessary to accommodate repeated vertical landings by the Joint Strike Fighter; what estimate he has made of the heat produced by vertical landing by the Joint Strike Fighter which has the heaviest safe configuration to allow the procedure; and whether vertical landings can take place on any flat area of the carrier deck.
Mr Philip Dunne
The ability of the ship to support F-35B vertical landings has been incorporated into the design of Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier from the outset. Environmental considerations including heat generation & dissipation have been thoroughly evaluated, including assessments from trials on the USS Wasp. UK assessments have covered all necessary aircraft configurations.
The QEC Flight Deck has been designed with specific operating spots for vertical landing to deliver maximum Sortie Generation Rate. These are the spots where the F-35B will plan to land vertically on a routine basis. If required, in the event of an emergency the whole flight deck can support vertical landing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Freer on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Middle East peace process of recent reports that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said his organisation will not renounce violence or recognise Israel.
Hugh Robertson
Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a Palestinian Authority committed to peace with Israel is a necessary step towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a key element of a viable negotiated solution. We welcome the formation on 2 June of a new interim technocratic government for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have made clear that our continued support to the new Palestinian government will rest on its commitment to the principle of non-violence, a negotiated two state solution, and an acceptance of all previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s legitimate right to exist. We now look to the new government to demonstrate these commitments through its actions as well as its words.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he took to ensure that the foreign commercial vessels fishing in the waters of Ascension Island from 2010 to 2013 did not use slave labour.
Mark Simmonds
The Ascension Island government is legally responsible for administering the marine fishery in the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Fishing Zone centred on the Island.
There as no condition placed in the licenses issued by the Ascension Island Government from 2010 to 2013 relating to slave labour. The primary responsibility for the setting and enforcement of standards on such matters lies with the flag state of each vessel.
The Ascension Island Government paused the issuing of licences for commercial long-line fishing from 1 January 2014 in order to undertake a full review of the management of its fisheries with a view to a new structure to be put in place by 2015. Revised conditions for licences will form a part of that outcome.