Tag: Steven Paterson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the then Secretary of State for Defence of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 291, whether the estimated build and commissioning costs of the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers remains within the £6.2bn budget.

Mr Philip Dunne

The approved cost of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers is £6.2 billion, as announced by the previous Defence Secretary on 6 November 2013 (Official Report, column 251). Whilst there are cost pressures, the Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with Industry to drive the programme to remain within the approved cost.

We expect the First of Class, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, to be accepted from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance in 2017 and, as reported in the NAO’s Major Project Report 2015, the ship remains on schedule to enter service with the Royal Navy in February 2018. We remain on course to undertake Platform Sea Trials in 2017, commence Fixed Wing Flying Trials with the F35B Lightning II in 2018 and deliver Initial Operating Capability (Carrier Strike) in 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to complete the ratification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mr Nick Hurd

An explanatory memorandum initiating the UK’s domestic approval of the Agreement was laid on 7^th October 2016 with a view to completing the domestic procedures that will enable ratification before the end of the year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the effect of benefit sanctions on levels of poverty.

Priti Patel

The current employment rate of 73.6% is a record high.

Work is the best route out of poverty, and the system of conditionality that underpins the welfare system is the most effective way to support jobseekers into work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many places of residence his Department has owned in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster

The total numbers of Service Family Accommodation properties owned by Ministry of Defence (MOD), has increased between April 2013 and October 2015 largely due to newly built homes in Wiltshire, Aldershot and Catterick in support of the moves back from Germany through the Army Basing Programme. We estimated we would provide around 1,200 new homes in the 2013 announcement. Properties owned by MOD are shown below.