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  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who all the core participants in the Al-Sweady Inquiry were; and what the name and firm was of each of those participants’ legal representatives.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The following Iraqi nationals have been designated as core participants in the Al-Sweady Inquiry as they were either detained, or are related to those who died, during the engagements on 14 May 2004. All are represented by Public Interest Lawyers (PIL):

    1. Hamzah Joudah Faraj ALMALJE
    2. Mahdi Jasim Abdullah AL-BEHADILI
    3. Ibrahim Gattan Hasan AL-ISMAEELI
    4. Kadhim Abbas Lafta AL-BEHADILI
    5. Abbas Abd Ali Abdulridha AL-HAMEEDAWI
    6. Ahmed Jabbar Hammood AL-FURAIJI
    7. Hussein Fadhil Abbas AL-BEHADILI
    8. Atiyah Sayyid Abdulridha AL-BAIDHANI
    9. Hussein Gubari Ali AL-LAMI
    10. Kahz’al Jabratallah Khalad Mulla AL-HELFI
    11. Hatar Moutashar Zeidan Shamekhy AL-LAMI
    12. Khudhur Al-Swaiedi
    13. Jasem Khalloufi Khreibet Al Alyawi AL-JAMINDARI
    14. Ali Ati Raheemah AL-MOZANI
    15. Rashak AL-AMSHANI
    16. Sabrah Maryoosh HUSSEIN
    17. Kamil Mowat Mohammed AL-MOZANI
    18. Saad Radhi Khafeef AL-KEEMY
    19. Yousef Ouda BADAY
    20. Qassim Ghelan Neema Sahn AL-MAJIDI
    21. Bareq Mohammed Hussein AL-KHALIFA
    22. Ahmed Mshatat KAZEM
    23. Karam Yaseen Laheet Sneshee AL-MOZANI
    24. Zahra Resan MUHSIN
    25. Abdelzahra Atti DAWOOD
    26. Mahud Jihaijeh Dawood AL-MOZANI
    27. Ali Jaseeb Ghazi AL-MUHAMMADAWI
    28. Jabra Abdulah MOHSIN
    29. Nasser Ali Husain AL-DOUGHAAN

    The remaining Iraqi witnesses, most of whom are also represented by PIL, are considered by the Inquiry to be witnesses rather than core participants.

    The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also a core participant in the Inquiry as it is the Government Department that was responsible for the conduct of the British Servicemen who are the subject of allegations.

    Although the Treasury Solicitor’s Department is not a core participant, the Inquiry Chairman has accorded them equivalent status in recognition of the very large number (over 500) of current and former service personnel that they represent in this Inquiry.

    A smaller number of military witnesses were either unrepresented or represented by Kennedy’s and are considered witnesses, not core participants.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s force structure cost model.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would be commercially sensitive and would prejudice the economic interests of the United Kingdom as well as the capability, effectiveness and security of the Armed Forces.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s output maps.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    I regret that I must withhold the requested information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s cost of defence output categories taxonomy.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The Ministry of Defence’s cost of defence taxonomy is as follows:

    Frigates
    Aircraft Carriers
    Destroyers
    Lynx Mk 3/8
    Minehunters
    Patrol vessels
    Survey vessels and Ice Patrol
    RW (SAR)
    Test, Simulation
    Landing Platform Dock
    Landing Platform Helicopter
    Landing Ship Dock
    Sea King Mk 7 ASaC, Mk 5 SAR
    Army Manning/Training Margin
    Army phase 1 training
    Army phase 2 training
    Army phase 3 training
    Defence CBRN Wing
    Civilian Training
    Light Brigades
    Air Assault Brigade
    Armoured Brigades
    Attack Helicopters
    Support Helicopters
    Mech Brigades
    RAF Force Protection
    RAF Reserves
    Royal Marines
    RNR and RMR
    Logistic Brigades
    2 MED Brigade
    Defence Medical Services
    Artillery Regts
    Engr Regts
    Signals Regts
    HQ Theatre Troops
    Commitments staff
    PJHQ, JFHQ, Theatre HQs
    Battle-Space Command and Control Communications and Information Systems
    IS and Communications Capability Projects
    Deployed Ops supporting units
    Deployable HQ
    Maritime Warfare Centre
    Joint Combat Aircraft
    Tornado
    Nuclear Deterrent
    Nuclear Estate
    Merlin
    Ship Submarine Ballistic Nuclear
    Ship Submarine Nuclear
    Estate Disposals
    MOD Estate
    Regional Prime Contracts
    Service Families Accommodation
    Single Living Accommodation
    Supporting infrastructure (utilities)
    Sustainability (DE&S War Reserves / Op Stocks)
    IS for Logistics
    Permanent Joint Operating Bses
    A400M
    BAe125
    BAe146
    C17
    Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
    Hercules
    Tristar
    VC10
    Auxiliary Oiler
    Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment
    Royal Fleet Auxiliary
    Forward Repair Ship
    Joint Casualty Treatment Ship
    Defence Intelligence Staff
    ASTOR
    E3-D
    Rivet Joint
    Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
    Electronic Warfare
    UK Air Surveillance and Control
    Army Joint and Collective Training
    Specialist Training
    Defence Academy
    RAF Joint and Collective Training
    RN Joint and Collective Training
    RAF Manning/Training Margin
    RAF phase 1 training
    RAF phase 2 training
    RAF phase 3 training
    Army Cadets
    Army Recruiting
    RAF Cadets
    RAF Recruiting
    RAF Aerobatic Team
    RN Cadets
    RN Recruiting
    Regional Forces – Northern Ireland
    Regional Forces – Germany
    Regional Forces – GB
    SIT Outputs
    Army Reserves
    RN Manning/Training Margin
    RN phase 1 training
    RN phase 2 training
    RN phase 3 training
    MOD Police and Guarding
    Special Forces
    Typhoon
    Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the costs of the (a) Baha Moussa inquiry and (b) Al-Sweady inquiry are classified by his Department as being operational and reclaimable from the Treasury Special Reserve.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The costs of the Baha Mousa and Al-Sweady inquiries were not deemed by the Department to be true net additional costs associated with activity to support specifically authorised operations and were not reclaimed from the Treasury Special Reserve.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of all invoices submitted by public interest lawyers for work undertaken in relation to Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Al-Sweady Inquiry has cost the public purse £28.4 million to 31 March 2014. The potential cost of the Inquiry to its completion is £31.1 million.

    The information requested is commercial in confidence and cannot be provided without a significant level of redaction of sensitive information.

    However I am able to provide a summary of costs incurred by Public Interest Lawyers for work undertaken in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry up to 31 March 2014.

    Summary of Payments made to Public Interest Lawyers
    in relation to the Al-Sweady Inquiry.

    Date of Payment Amount of Payment (£)

    March 2010 6,921.60

    August 2010 68,060.36

    October 2010 45,752.15

    February 2011 41,581.11

    May 2011 94,154.64

    June 2011 6,210.00

    July 2011 33,828.33

    September 2011 10,113.68

    November 2011 6,445.34

    December 2011 2,421.51

    January 2012 68,343.35

    February 2012 37,838.53

    April 2012 21,775.17

    May 2012 47,491.94

    June 2012 16,328.20

    July 2012 5,200.00

    August 2012 220.60

    September 2012 10,115.00

    November 2012 100,587.10

    December 2012 46,352.33

    January 2013 99,208.41

    February 2013 51,117.56

    March 2013 74,356.24

    May 2013 197,070.38

    Junuary 2013 107,544.50

    July 2013 164,335.64

    August 2013 85,516.25

    September 2013 33,091.25

    October 2013 176,401.67

    November 2013 187,376.83

    January 2014 174,806.09

    February 2014 36,133.25

    March 2014 59,093.74

    April 2014 301,909.00

    Grand Total 2,417,701.75

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to extend the Duty Holder Concept Regulations to apply to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department.

    Anna Soubry

    Under the policy introduced across Defence, a Duty Holder is an official (military or civilian) who owns, manages and is accountable for risks to life of people in his or her area of responsibility. Senior Duty Holders, who head the Department’s Top Level Budget areas and Trading Fund Agencies, are required by the Secretary of State’s Policy Statement on Health, Safety & Environmental Protection to refer to him any risks that they consider cannot be reduced as low as reasonably practicable.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the stealth characteristics of the joint strike fighter against all digital very high frequency active electronically steered radar arrays.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    It is part of normal MOD business to continuously assess the stealth performance of the F-35 against very high frequency digital radar.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other personnel with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Anna Soubry

    Communicators are employed across Defence and the Armed Forces. They have an important task in explaining to the public, the media, our own people and other audiences – at the local regional, national and international levels – the role of Defence, Defence activities, capabilities and operations. Over the last several years substantial savings have been made across the communications area, and further efficiencies will continue to be made.

    The latest figures for the numbers involved in communications roles as at 31 March 2013 are shown in the attached table, and include all posts for which over 50% of the post’s core duties are communications. These figures include both military and civilian posts worldwide. In the 2013 exercise communications staff in Non-Departmental Public Bodies were not surveyed. As such, this data was requested separately.

    Also shown are the figures for 31 March 2010, demonstrating a reduction of 12% (over 160 posts) in this time.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when each Type 45 Destroyer will be installed with the ECPINS-W Subs software; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of that installation.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System software is planned to be installed on the Type 45 Destroyers (T45) as the primary element of the Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) navigation capability. This will enhance the Type 45’s navigation capability, which currently uses a mix of paper charts and an Electronic Charting System, commonly used on commercial shipping. The new WECDIS system will remove the need for paper charts and includes additional warfighting command and control functionality.

    The programme will ensure the system and training arrangements comply with the latest international standards, which were defined after the T45 build contract was awarded.

    The rollout of WECDIS on the six T45s is scheduled to take place from early 2016, subject to the ships’ operational programme, and is expected to cost £5.6 Million for all six platforms. This covers the cost of development, acceptance, testing and trials, platform rollout and user training.