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  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times the Child Protection Taskforce announced by the Prime Minister on 24 June 2015 has met; and when that taskforce plans to publish its first report.

    Edward Timpson

    The Child Protection Implementation Taskforce has met on four occasions since June 2015. As set out in the terms of reference, Taskforces are responsible for monitoring and driving the delivery of the Government’s priorities. The Department for Education published a paper in January 2016 ‘Children’s Social Care reform: A vision for change’[1] which outlines the three areas of work undertaken by the Taskforce thus far.

    As it is responsible for monitoring implementation rather than developing policy, the Taskforce does not have any plans to publish a report at this time.

    [1]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/491968/Childrens_social_care_reform_a_vision_for_change.pdf

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  • Graham Brady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Graham Brady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children obtained five or more good GCSEs including English and Mathematics in (a) selective, (b) partially selective and (c) comprehensive local authority areas in 2015; and what that proportion was by ethnic group in each of those categories.

    Nick Gibb

    The proportion of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at A*-C, including English and mathematics, by local authority and ethnic group was published in the GCSE and equivalent statistical first release for 2015.[1]

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015

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  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for addressing issues relating to the reliability of the power system of the Type 45 Destroyer; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A number of measures to improve the reliability of the Type 45 Power and Propulsion systems have been identified and the ongoing programme to implement these changes continues to deliver positive results. In addition, and as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we are committed to improving system resilience by adding upgraded diesel generators to provide further electrical generation capacity. Alternative technical options and a variety of delivery models are currently being explored with several competing industrial partners.

    A number of early modifications were implemented under the Type 45 Destroyer Contract for Availability arrangement with BAE Systems at no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence. The total cost and timetable for implementing the diesel generator upgrade will be determined at the main investment decision. I am withholding details of our current time and cost estimates as premature disclosure of this information could prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the protection affordable from the public purse for the procurement and commercial arrangements for the Type 45 Destroyer; and whether those arrangements permit appropriate designation of responsibility for design and performance failures.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Standard terms governing the allocation of liabilities were put in place for the Type 45 programme. All six Type 45 Destroyers have now passed the point in time from which these terms ceased to apply. A number of early modifications were implemented under the Type 45 Destroyer Contract for Availability arrangement with BAES Systems at no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of rectifying faults in the power and propulsion system of the Type 45 Destroyer; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A number of measures to improve the reliability of the Type 45 Power and Propulsion systems have been identified and the ongoing programme to implement these changes continues to deliver positive results. In addition, and as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we are committed to improving system resilience by adding upgraded diesel generators to provide further electrical generation capacity. Alternative technical options and a variety of delivery models are currently being explored with several competing industrial partners.

    A number of early modifications were implemented under the Type 45 Destroyer Contract for Availability arrangement with BAE Systems at no additional cost to the Ministry of Defence. The total cost and timetable for implementing the diesel generator upgrade will be determined at the main investment decision. I am withholding details of our current time and cost estimates as premature disclosure of this information could prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what risk assessment his Department has made of the effect of issues with the power system of the Type 45 Destroyer on its crew (a) when in combat and (b) otherwise; and what steps he has taken to minimise any risk before work remediating those issues takes place.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As part of the extensive training programmes undertaken by the Royal Navy, risk assessments and mitigating actions are developed against a wide range of scenarios. Such training ranges from those required under the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea through to combat effectiveness.

    In the interests of National Security I am not prepared to release information related to specific risk assessments of our operational Units as to do so would allow deductions to be made as to their operational capability and effectiveness.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the independent power and propulsion system performance review of the Type 45 Destroyer of March 2011.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A copy of the report entitled ‘Type 45 Destroyer – Independent Power and Propulsion System Performance Review’, redacted in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question HL5030, how much his Department on the feasibility phase for undertaking a diesel generator upgrade to the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers; when the feasibility phase for that work was concluded; when his Department made a decision on whether to proceed with the upgrade programme; how many options for undertaking the upgrade work were initially presented to his Department by BAE Systems; whether BAE Systems was asked to present further options to his Department, in addition to those initially presented; which option his Department chose to proceed with, and for what reasons; what estimate he has made of the cost of carrying out that work on each of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers; on how many destroyers such upgrade work has commenced; and on how many such destroyers the upgrade work is complete.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As referenced in the answer given on 2 March 2015 by the then Under Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Astor of Hever, to Question HL5030, the initial feasibility phase of upgrading the Type 45 diesel generators concluded in March 2015. Following this, further feasibility studies were completed in November 2015 at a cost of £4.7million. A range of technical options and a variety of delivery models are currently being explored with competing industrial partners and when the way forward has been determined, will be subject to the Departments formal approvals process. This approval will constitute a decision to proceed.

    BAE systems initially presented a range of options. The MOD was satisfied with the range of choices presented and has since selected the three leading options to be taken forward into the Assessment Phase.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question HL 5030, when he expects the upgrade work required on Type 45 destroyers to be completed; whether any such destroyers on which such work has not been completed have been deployed on any operation since the decision to proceed with the upgrade work was taken; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that work on the operational capability of the Royal Navy.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    All Royal Navy ships have a rolling programme of work which is being applied as operational commitments, planned maintenance and design solutions allow. With regard to the Type 45s, decisions on the optional Diesel Generator upgrade, announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 is in the planning phase and the costs and timescales of the three leading options will be confirmed in the Assessment Phase.

    I am withholding information about the potential costs of the Diesel Generator upgrade as releasing such information at this stage would prejudice the commercial position of the MOD.

    Since the previous answer was given, Type 45 Destroyers have routinely deployed to the Gulf, with HMS Duncan undertaking the first successful nine month deployment of a Type 45 to that region in 2015. She was relieved by HMS Defender in December 2015, also on a nine month deployment, which is currently utilising the recognised world leading Anti-Air Warfare capabilities of Type 45 in providing direct support and protection to the US carrier operations against Daesh.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of steel used in the manufacture of (a) Scout, (b) the Type 26 Frigate, (c) the new Tide Class Tankers and (d) the new Offshore Patrol vessels is manufactured in the UK.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Steel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. UK suppliers have provided significant quantities of steel for major defence procurement programmes whenever they have been able to meet specified standards.

    The steel requirement for the AJAX (formerly Scout) Armoured Fighting Vehicle is specialist in nature which UK manufacturers were not able to provide and has been sourced to date from a overseas supplier. There is a small quantity of steel yet to be committed to contract and UK manufacturers will have every opportunity to bid for this.

    For the Type 26 Frigates, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 January 2016 to Questions 22739 and 22740 to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr Farron). The steel suppliers for the Type 26 Frigates have not yet been selected.

    For the Tide Class Tankers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 January 2016 to Questions 23932 and 23934 to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Farron). It is estimated that UK customisation work will require around 80 tonnes of steel, although design work is ongoing and no orders have yet been placed.

    For the Offshore Patrol Vessels currently under construction no UK steel manufacturer responded to the invitation to tender within the timeframe, but the contract to source the steel required was placed with a UK steel stockist. Around 20% of the overall requirement was sourced from UK steel mills and a further 10% from existing stock of unknown origin. The remainder was sourced from overseas suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure a competitive price and delivery at the required time and quality.