The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met his Pakistani counterpart.
Michael Fallon
I met Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, on 5 August 2015.
During my visit I also paid calls on the Prime Minister and other key interlocutors. Most recently, I met with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif when he visited the UK last October.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Zephyr 8 UAVs his Department plans to buy; what the estimated cost per unit is of that equipment; what the programme through life cost is of that equipment; and where he plans units of that equipment will be based.
Mr Philip Dunne
As part of our commitment to providing next-generation battlefield intelligence capabilities to the UK Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence is planning to contract for the demonstration of two Zephyr Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This contract will allow the UK to understand whether Zephyr can fulfil the requirement for a high-altitude persistent surveillance capability, as announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The £10.6 million contract, due to be signed imminently with Airbus Defence and Space, is for an operational concept demonstration rather than individual platforms, so unit costs are not held. Furthermore, as the Zephyr demonstrators will not be in-service, they will not be based at a particular location and there will be no related support or through-life costs.
Tests are due to take place in 2017 to assess Zephyr’s capabilities and explore its potential.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26667, whether HMS Defender tracked the Iranian UAV that was reported to have flown in close proximity to the USS Harry S Truman; and what reports he has received on other instances of Iranian UAV activity in the Persian Gulf.
Penny Mordaunt
I am withholding information on the operational activity of Royal Navy ships and on what operational reports Ministers receive as their disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to publish an updated timetable for commencing the building of the first T26 Global Combat Ship.
Mr Philip Dunne
We are working with industry to develop an optimised schedule for the T26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) programme. As part of this, on 22 March 2016, we announced that agreement had been reached with BAE Systems on the award of a contract to extend the T26 GCS Demonstration Phase to June 2017.
In addition to maturing further the detailed ship design, investing in Shore Testing Facilities, and extending our investment in the wider supply chain, this extension to the Demonstration Phase will allow us to continue the work to develop a revised baseline for the programme.
The timing of the award of the contract to build the Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be central to this re-baselining work and, in due course, a revised programme will be produced and considered through the normal investment approvals process. An announcement on the timing of the award of a T26 GCS build contract will be made at the appropriate time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to fit airborne collision avoidance systems to Lynx helicopters.
Mr Philip Dunne
I can confirm that Traffic Advisory Systems are currently being installed in all Lynx Mk 9A aircraft. This is due to be completed across the entire fleet by the end of September 2016. Royal Navy Lynx Mk 8 aircraft are not being modified as they are due to leave service by 31 March 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many public engagement events to support the cultural sector in Scotland have been held at Dover House in the last 12 months.
David Mundell
A variety of events are held in Dover House, both by Scotland Office Ministers and by third parties, throughout the year.
The events are aimed at engaging stakeholders on a wide variety of policy issues and aspects of life in Scotland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected lifespan is of the Sea Ceptor Anti-Air Missile System.
Harriett Baldwin
The Sea Ceptor system is currently being fitted to the Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigates as the principal anti-air missile system and will also be fitted to the Royal Navy’s future Type 26 Frigates as they enter service. The capability will remain in service for over 40 years to align with the out of service date for the Type 26 Frigate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether all UK service personnel deployed to malarial areas since 2013 have been individually assessed for contraindications for mefloquine; and what the method of assessment was for those who were individually assessed.
Mark Lancaster
Since 2013, it has been Ministry of Defence policy that mefloquine should only be prescribed after an individual risk assessment. To verify that an individual assessment has been undertaken in every case since 2013 would require the examination of the medical records of all individuals who have deployed since 2013. This could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.
Templates exist to optimise consistency in the preparation of personnel requiring anti-malarials, including mefloquine. Defence Primary Healthcare has a malaria protocol to guide clinicians to use these templates. Work is currently in hand to develop it further, taking previous lessons into account, to ensure that all individuals are assessed in a consistent manner.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what instructions have been issued to medical or other staff in any of the armed forces regarding the consumption of alcohol while Mefloquine is being taken as medication.
Mark Lancaster
Neither the Patient Information Leaflet for mefloquine issued by the manufacturer, nor the British National Formulary (which provides information on all medicines generally prescribed in the UK), mention alcohol consumption when using mefloquine for the chemoprophylaxis of malaria. Guidance is, however, provided for patients with severe liver problems and other medical conditions that would preclude the use of the drug, and would be part of the clinical risk assessment prior to prescription.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on that country’s procurement of F35 aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence had regular discussions with the then Canadian Defence Minister, Jason Kenney, on a range of issues including procurement of F35 Aircraft. We look forward to engaging with the new Canadian Defence Ministers once appointed.