Tag: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the integration of female soldiers into close combat units in the Army.

Earl Howe

Women are currently excluded from serving in ground close combat roles in the Infantry and Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force Regiment. The Prime Minister stated on 20 December 2015 that he would like to see all roles in the Armed Forces opened up to women in 2016. Further physiological research currently under way will inform a final decision in mid-2016.

The review "Women in Ground Close Combat" has identified the principle of full integration as a vital element in generating cohesion in combat troops. The subsequent infrastructure work required is being considered as part of ongoing implementation planning, in the event that the exclusion is lifted. Early estimates from the 2014 research paper suggest that a fully integrated solution at the Army’s Infantry Training Centre at Catterick could cost up to £1.6 million. Once a final decision is taken, the Department will be able to identify and cost a fully integrated long-term solution as required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to maintain warship building capability in the UK and what are their preferred locations for doing so.

Earl Howe

The Government has appointed Sir John Parker as the Independent Chair of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which is intended to place UK shipbuilding on a sustainable long-term footing. Sir John Parker will consider a range of locations around the UK and report by the end of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what infrastructure preparations have been made for the integration of female soldiers into close combat units in the Army; and what is their estimate of the cost of any such preparations to date.

Earl Howe

Women are currently excluded from serving in ground close combat roles in the Infantry and Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force Regiment. The Prime Minister stated on 20 December 2015 that he would like to see all roles in the Armed Forces opened up to women in 2016. Further physiological research currently under way will inform a final decision in mid-2016.

The review "Women in Ground Close Combat" has identified the principle of full integration as a vital element in generating cohesion in combat troops. The subsequent infrastructure work required is being considered as part of ongoing implementation planning, in the event that the exclusion is lifted. Early estimates from the 2014 research paper suggest that a fully integrated solution at the Army’s Infantry Training Centre at Catterick could cost up to £1.6 million. Once a final decision is taken, the Department will be able to identify and cost a fully integrated long-term solution as required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the establishment of (1) the Royal Navy, (2) the Army, and (3) the Royal Air Force, and how many vacancies there are in each service.

Earl Howe

The requested information, as at 1 March 2016, is provided below:

Service	Liability (establishment)	Full-time trained strength	Deficit (vacancies)
Royal Navy/Royal Marines	30,220	29,730	480
Army	83,580	79,840	3,740
Royal Air Force	33,150	31,000	2,150

Note: All figures are rounded. Totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.

Full details of liabilities and trained strengths are included in the UK Armed Forces Monthly Service Personnel Statistics, which can be found at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-2016

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they attach to acquiring and deploying autonomous underwater vehicles, and for what purposes they plan to use those vessels.

Earl Howe

The Royal Navy (RN) currently deploys unmanned systems to enhance maritime surveillance and improve situational awareness in a number of operational theatres.

It is widely recognised that autonomous systems offer a unique opportunity to maintain our operational advantage and the RN will therefore continue to explore how such systems can further augment its capabilities into the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 February (HL6098), what progress they have made towards identifying and costing a long-term solution to the full integration of female soldiers in close combat roles in the Infantry and Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force Regiment.

Earl Howe

On 8 July 2016, the former Prime Minister (Rt Hon David Cameron MP) announced that following a recommendation by the Chief of the General Staff the previous exclusions on women serving in the Royal Marines (RM), Royal Armoured Corps (RAC), Infantry and Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regt) have now been lifted. This applies to both Regular and Reserve units.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will initially open certain RAC units from November 2016, with all other Ground Close Combat roles opening from 2018. This will enable implementation to be rolled out in a deliberate, responsible and methodical manner that will allow mitigation measures, such as updated Physical Employment Standards, to be put in place.

Delivering the necessary organisational changes will be covered within current programmes and initiatives. Infrastructure changes across Defence will be achieved through existing development strategies and will not impact on the successful delivery of this policy change. The amount of funding required for longer term infrastructure solutions will be dependent on the number of women posted to particular establishments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they attach to acquiring and deploying unmanned carrier-launched surveillance and strike aircraft.

Earl Howe

The Queen Elizabeth Class carriers will have an extensive flight deck with hangar and engineering support facilities, which can be utilised to operate and sustain autonomous systems. The Royal Navy recognises that such systems offer a unique opportunity to maintain its operational advantage and it continues to explore how they could augment its capabilities in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-10-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the objectives of the Ministry of Defence projects (1) Strike 155, and (2) Project Congreve.

Earl Howe

The Army is undertaking a scoping project known as ‘Medium Wheeled Gun System’ to examine 155mm calibre towed and wheeled self-propelled options to provide a medium weight fire support capability within the future Strike Brigades. At the concept stage it was previously known as Strike 155; no decisions regarding the choice of system have yet been taken.

Project Congreve was a study conducted by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and initiated in 2014. Its objective was to determine options for all future surface-to-surface fire systems capability. The work on the Medium Wheeled Gun System has been informed by Project Congreve and the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their most recent estimate of the unit cost of the UK’s F-35Bs has been revised (1) upwards, or (2) downwards, as a result of updated information provided by the US Joint Strike Fighter programme.

Earl Howe

We continue to see a reduction in aircraft unit costs which is in line with the estimates shown in the annual US Selected Acquisition Report. The UK’s F-35 programme remains within its cost approval limit as detailed in the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to acquire Zephyr high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles, and if so, for what purpose.

Earl Howe

As part of our commitment to providing next-generation battlefield intelligence capabilities to the UK Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence has contracted for the demonstration of two Zephyr Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This contract will allow the UK to understand whether Zephyr can fulfil the requirement for high-altitude persistent surveillance capability as announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.