Tag: Sir Nicholas Soames

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the structure is of NHS Property Services and to whom they report.

George Freeman

NHS Property Services is a limited company, registered at Companies House, and 100% owned by the Secretary of State for Health, to whom it is accountable.

It is governed by a company Board consisting of a Chair, Chief Executive and an appropriate mix of executive and non-executive directors, including a Departmental ‘shareholder representative’ director.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to build smaller warships.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 announced our intention to build two further Offshore Patrol Vessels, in addition to the three already under construction on the Clyde. In addition, work has already begun on the development of the lighter, flexible, General Purpose Frigates, but it is as yet too early to provide details of the timing, form and capability of these vessels. They will be designed to be capable, more attractive to a wider export market and will allow us to increase the number of frigates and destroyers. The means for achieving this will be outlined in the national Shipbuilding Strategy, which is due to report by the end of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks are held in reserve in the UK.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army’s war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK’s capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King’s Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what will comprise a Carrier Escort Group in respect of (a) air-defence, (b) counter-mine and (c) anti-submarine escorts.

Penny Mordaunt

The Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Aircraft Carriers will operate as part of a Maritime Task Group, tailored to specific operational requirements, including any potential threats from land, air or sea.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank; and what the allocation is to each such regiment of such tanks.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army’s war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK’s capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King’s Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Challenger 2 Battle Tanks are maintained in Germany; and what the state of readiness is of such tanks.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army’s war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK’s capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King’s Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the liability is under the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order for the size and deployability requirements of the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army’s war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK’s capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King’s Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will order a review to be undertaken of the administration and operational effectiveness of NHS Property Services in (a) West Sussex and (b) Mid Sussex.

George Freeman

Review of the effectiveness of NHS Property Services’ operations in all areas of the country is an ongoing process by the Company’s Board, which includes a Departmental senior civil servant as a Director, and by officials in the Department’s Commercial Division.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the timeliness of NHS Property Services’ (a) agreement and (b) delivery of building works at (i) Sidney West in West Sussex, (ii) Horsham Hospital and (iii) Crawley Hospital.

George Freeman

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) invests in its buildings to ensure they are safe and statutorily compliant. Additionally, it builds or refurbishes healthcare estates to change the estate to meet changing local healthcare needs where National Health Service customers indicate the need and commit to fund the revenue consequences of our investment. This ensures scarce capital funds are prioritised where the need is greatest.

The following table summarises the capital projects underway, planned or proposed for Sidney West Primary Care Centre, Horsham Hospital and for Crawley Hospital. The Company’s primary customers for these projects are Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Horsham and Mid-Sussex CCG who commission clinical services and lead the development of Local Estate Strategies for the areas they cover.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to promote research and development in the UK.

Greg Hands

At the Spending Review 2015 we protected the current £4.7 billion science resource funding in real terms for the rest of the Parliament and re-affirmed our long term science capital commitment of £6.9 billion between 2015-2021.

The government also continues to support business research and development investment through R&D tax credits. In 2013-14, R&D tax credits provided £1.75bn of relief to over 18,000 companies, supporting around £14.3bn of innovative investment.