Tag: Steven Paterson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements are in place to monitor Babcock’s performance and safety record.

Mr Philip Dunne

Babcock is a key supplier to the Ministry of Defenceand the company’s relationship with the Department is managed at a strategic level through a key supplier representative. This role is currently undertaken by the Chief of Materiel (Fleet) within Defence Equipment and Support, who engages with Babcock on a regular basis. Project and safety performance reviews form a significant element of these discussions.

With regards to safety, appropriate measures are in place to reduce risk and these are rigorously monitored to ensure that any emerging issues are identified and addressed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.98 in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, published on 23 November 2015; how many of the 10,000 military personnel available to assist civil authorities are (a) based in Scotland and (b) available to be used to assist civil authorities in Scotland.

Penny Mordaunt

Under the deployment plan the Ministry of Defence and police have identified a range of security tasks that the military will undertake in order to release police firearms officers to respond to a major counter-terrorism (CT) incident. A proportion of these are in Scotland although we do not reveal the specific numbers of personnel involved for reasons of operational security.

The plan also allows us to generate a far more significant surge of military personnel to deploy in response to a major CT incident. These personnel deploy across the UK, including in Scotland. Military units have a responsibility for this task on a rolling basis, including the 9,810 personnel based in Scotland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent by the National Cyber Security Programme in each of the last five years.

Matthew Hancock

Since the UK’s first Cyber Security Strategy was published in 2011, we have invested £860m in a National Cyber Security Programme to support the UK’s economic prosperity, protect our national security and safeguard the public’s way of life by building a more trusted and resilient digital environment. The National Cyber Security Programme’s budget breaks down annually as follows: 2011/12 – £105m 2012/13 – £155m 2013/14 – £180m 2014/15 – £210m 2015/16 – £210m We are investing £1.9bn in the next Cyber Security Programme, from financial years 2016/17 until 2020/21, which will give the UK the next generation of cyber security and make our country one of the safest places to do business online.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Departments are involved in the national security checking of the text of the Iraq Inquiry report.

Matthew Hancock

The following Departments will be involved in National Security checking: Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and the Intelligence Agencies.

National Security checking will ensure that the Government meets its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights so that on publication the lives or safety of individuals are not put at risk. It will also ensure that publication of the report will not compromise national security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent guidelines he has issued to members of the armed forces on registering with a doctor.

Mark Lancaster

Primary healthcare for serving Armed Forces personnel is provided by the Defence Medical Services (DMS).

Leaflet 1-3-4 of Joint Service Publication 950 (the Defence medical policy document) explains the healthcare transition arrangements for personnel leaving the Services and DMS care. This includes information on registering with an NHS General Practitioner.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to safely store or treat nuclear contaminated material arising from the decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarines at Rosyth by Babcock.

Mr Philip Dunne

All radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarines at Rosyth will be transported off-site either for recycling, direct disposal, or storage in an interim storage facility as part of the Submarine Dismantling Project.

For certain components, a temporary holding facility may be required on site; this short-term holding and all other activities will be fully regulated by nuclear safety and environmental regulators.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on ensuring the Trident nuclear weapon system from cyber-attacks in each of the last three years; and how much he plans to spend in each of the next five years.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Ministry of Defence audits the integrity of the UK’s nuclear deterrent regularly for all threats and hazards and acts to ensure that it maintains the highest possible standards. The Strategic Defence and Security Review acknowledges the growing cyber threat and the importance of investing in cyber security across all of our capabilities. The Government has invested £860 million in new technology and capabilities since 2011 and will invest £1.9 billion over the next five years in protecting the UK from cyber attack and developing our sovereign capabilities in cyberspace. Our approach to protecting Defence capabilities against and mitigating the impact of cyber attacks spans technical, organisational, procedural and physical measures benefiting many different systems and networks, and investment is integrated across these measures. Submarines operate in isolation by design, and this contributes to their cyber resilience. I will not discuss further details for reasons of safeguarding national security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has held with local authorities on cyber-security.

Matthew Hancock

The Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCSIA) in the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office works with a range of government partners to deliver the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP). OCSIA has been working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to support local government cyber security. This includes working with individual councils, the Society of IT Management (SOCITM), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executive (SOLACE) and the Local Government Association (LGA). This financial year the NSCP funded team within DCLG has delivered regional workshops for local government leaders with further workshops planned later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who is leading the team which will undertake the national security checking of the text of the Iraq Inquiry report.

Matthew Hancock

The following Departments will be involved in National Security checking: Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and the Intelligence Agencies.

National Security checking will ensure that the Government meets its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights so that on publication the lives or safety of individuals are not put at risk. It will also ensure that publication of the report will not compromise national security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Scottish Government on City Deals in Scotland.

Andrew Percy

The UK and Scottish Government have worked together to agree ambitious City Deals in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness over the past two years.

Building on these deals we will continue to work together to consider any proposals from Scottish cities or regions that seek to drive economic growth. Most recently My Noble Friend Lord Dunlop met Keith Brown on 30 June to discuss this agenda.