Tag: Lord West of Spithead

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have a plan in place to rebuild the lost capacity in the UK to design and build civil nuclear reactors.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Government has established a policy framework that facilitates new nuclear build in the UK. Within that framework it is for developers to propose and deliver projects. Government’s focus in relation to UK capacity and capability is to maximise UK content in the supply chain for new build. To that end Government works closely with industry to develop the skills and supply chain capability to meet the demands of the new build programme, including through bodies like the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG) and with organisations like the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre (NAMRC), which helps UK companies win work in the civil nuclear sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 March (HL6981), whether they can confirm that the date by which all six destroyers will be fully operational is still unknown.

Earl Howe

All Type 45 Destroyers remain in the operational cycle and continue to be routinely deployed. The Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is currently considering a number of technical options and delivery models with competing industrial partners. The programme is not yet mature enough to confirm when the equipment upgrade will be completed.

Funding for the Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is to be contained within the budget allocated to Navy Command.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what hard evidence they have collected that Daesh is using small commercial drones for surveillance and for conveying explosives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government has a range of material, including images, that provides evidence that Daesh has used small, commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles in Syria and Iraq to extend their surveillance capability, produce propaganda material and carry small improvised explosive devices.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 September (HL1533), whether work has commenced on the third Offshore Patrol Vessel contracted for in August 2014; and if not, why not.

Earl Howe

Construction of the third Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMS TRENT, began in October 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when construction of the first new SSBN ballistic missile submarine will start at Barrow.

Earl Howe

Whole Boat construction of the first Successor submarine is expected to begin in 2016 subject to the programme’s investment decision

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend, before the Scottish general election, to table a debate in the House of Commons on the decision to build the Vanguard-class replacement.

Earl Howe

Her Majesty’s Government has confirmed it will hold a debate in Parliament on the principle of Continuous at Sea Deterrence and our plans for the Successor submarine. A decision on when it will be held will be taken in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are bound to consult or seek the approval of Parliament before undertaking aircraft or drone air strikes in Libya.

Earl Howe

The Government is committed to the convention that, before UK troops are committed to conflict, Parliament should have an opportunity to debate the matter except when there is an emergency and such action would not be appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 10 March (HL Deb, col 1406), whether the 60 per cent of jobs guaranteed in the supply chain for Hinkley Point remain guaranteed for the third nuclear plant and beyond, with which the Chinese are fully involved.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The government is working to maximise the economic and social benefits accruing to the UK local and national economies as the result of the development of all new UK nuclear power stations.

The developers of New Nuclear Power Plants, Hinkley Point C located in Somerset, Wylfa Newydd on the Isle of Anglesey and Moorside in West Cumbria are all working towards ensuring that 60% or more is spent with UK companies

For further proposed new build including Sizewell C in Suffolk, Oldbury in South Gloucestershire & Bradwell in Essex, the Government is working with the new build developers to match or better this percentage for work placed with UK firms.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 March (HL6981), whether the money necessary to make all the destroyers operational will come from the First Sea Lord’s budget or from the reserve or contingency funds.

Earl Howe

All Type 45 Destroyers remain in the operational cycle and continue to be routinely deployed. The Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is currently considering a number of technical options and delivery models with competing industrial partners. The programme is not yet mature enough to confirm when the equipment upgrade will be completed.

Funding for the Type 45 power and propulsion improvement programme is to be contained within the budget allocated to Navy Command.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 June (HL325), how government departments and agencies decide who should take executive action to prosecute a series of contacts of interest.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Each of the Government departments and agencies represented at the National Maritime Information Centre has a specific remit and depending on what the nature of the operational scenario in question is, the department or agency with the legislatively proscribed lead responsibility for investigating activity of that kind will take the necessary action. Other departments and agencies will provide support to the lead department or agency as required.