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Tag: Tom Watson

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the advice provided by Jemima Stratford QC to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drones, if her Department will take steps to prevent any unlawful practice by GCHQ.

    Hugh Robertson

    The UK intelligence agencies work in accordance with UK law, as described by the Foreign Secretary in his statement to the House on 10 June 2013 (Official Report of 10 June 2013, column 31). In addition, Section 6 of the recently published Annual Report for 2013 by the Interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Anthony May, addresses the legal basis for intelligence sharing between the UK and its partners.

    The UK Intelligence Agencies adhere to the law at all times. We have one of the world’s strongest legal and regulatory frameworks governing the use of secret intelligence. All of GCHQ’s activities are legal, necessary and proportionate. GCHQ does not disclose or share information other than is appropriate under the Intelligence Services Act 1994 and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by the cross-government working group on remotely piloted aircraft systems.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cross Government Working Group has been discussing its draft Terms of Reference (extract copied below) and its membership. The focus of its work so far has been to gather information from the relevant departments to identify areas of common interest requiring collaboration.

    RPAS Cross Government Working Group Vision and Activities

    Vision : To provide a consistent government message on RPAS issues.

    Objectives:

    • Inform RPAS-related Departmental policies and publish a UK Cross Government vision / strategy for UAS.
    • To identify Cross Government synergies and opportunities for efficiencies.
    • To identify and address barriers to a successful UK industry base, to support the Government’s growth agenda.

    Approach

    • Focus for the co-ordination of all UK Government RPAS related activities.
    • Developing a better knowledge and a shared understanding of Departmental priorities, activities, ambitions & concerns.
    • Help industry understand Government needs and vision.
    • Identify opportunities.
    • Identify key questions.
    • Community of users [identification of user requirements].
    • UK PoC for RPAS.

    Issues to Address

    • Identifying the extent to which the UK can support safe and secure RPAS operations in the UK, including options for the certification of RPAS, pilot licensing, and associated systems.
    • Identifying the key characteristics of RPAS infrastructure, including the potential radio spectrum for RPAS operations in the UK.
    • Seek to identify common Cross Government user requirements to understand future concepts for shared assets / system procurement and maintenance.
    • Determining how the UK might best position itself to take advantage of RPAS industry and technology.

    Engagement

    Understand the potential benefits of RPAS to Government.

    Inform and be informed by active industry associations e.g.

    • Aeronautical and Aerospace and Defence Knowledge Transfer Network Autonomous Systems National technical committee.
    • Robotics and Autonomous Systems Special Interest Group.
    • Through identification of best practice and successful projects.
    • UK industry

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department maintains (a) mission reports, (b) guided missile firing reports, (c) weapon system videos and (d) any other munitions release records for the UK Reaper fleet following the change of operational command to US pilots.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Each UK Reaper sortie has a mission report produced post flight. If a weapon is fired during a sortie, a weapon report is completed detailing the engagement, as well as a video produced of the engagement itself. There are no other munitions release records for the UK Reaper fleet. US pilots have not flown UK Reaper except during the launch and recovery phase.

    Outside of the launch and recovery phase, UK Remotely Piloted Air Systems have always been operated by UK pilots.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of lethal operations in Yemen on (a) the civilian population and (b) security in that country.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) activity and attacks continue to threaten Yemen’s development and security. DFID has made no specific assessment of the effect of such operations in Yemen, but along with other Departments has conducted detailed analyses of conflict and instability.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to update the current Air Navigation Order to define and categorise unmanned aircraft systems.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The safe operation of civil Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in the UK is governed by the requirements of the Air Navigation Order 2009 (ANO). RPA with an operating mass of more than 20kg are subject to regulation as though they are manned aircraft.

    RPA with an operating mass of 20kg or less are referred to as ‘small unmanned aircraft’. Small unmanned aircraft are exempt from the majority of the regulations that normally apply to manned aircraft, however their use is specifically covered by two articles within the ANO, which legislate for the ‘general’ flying aspects and the flight of those equipped for surveillance. As well as these specific articles however, a more general article which prevents a person ‘causing or permitting an aircraft to endanger the safety of any person or property’ also remains applicable. There are no current plans to further categorise RPA.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 180W, on Africa, whether any service personnel are embedded with host forces or otherwise stationed in (a) Niger, (b) Nigeria and (c) the Seychelles.

    Mr Mark Francois

    There are no UK service personnel embedded with host forces or otherwise stationed in Niger.

    The UK has a small number of personnel deployed to Nigeria in roles including diplomatic representation, defence engagement, liaison and training. As part of the package of support to Nigeria announced by the Prime Minister last month, an additional small team of experts has also deployed to help Nigeria establish an Intelligence Fusion Cell with French and US partners to assist the Nigerian government in locating the abducted school girls.

    In the Seychelles, a Royal Naval officer is currently serving as a Liaison officer for the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR).

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, on USA, whether either government places restrictions on the use of data shared between the UK and the US.

    Hugh Robertson

    Britain has a strong and longstanding intelligence relationship with the US. In both countries, intelligence work takes place within a strong legal framework. Our intelligence-sharing work with the US is subject to Ministerial and independent oversight and scrutiny by the Intelligence and Security Committee. As referred to in my answer to the honourable member on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, the Interception Commissioner in his latest annual report addresses the issue of intelligence sharing between the UK and its partners, including recording that the Regulation of Ivestigatory Powers Act 2000 strictly limits the lawful dissemination of intercept material to the minimum that is necessary for the authorised purposes.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps have been taken to monitor and regulate contacts between Mr Lynton Crosby and representatives of the tobacco industry, in particular in relation to consultations on the introduction of standard packaging.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Mr Lynton Crosby is not employed by the Government.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 474, on unmanned air vehicles: guided weapons, if his Department will publish the method and results from the UK-US firing trials of Brimstone missiles from MQ-9 Reaper.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The firing trials successfully demonstrated rapid integration of Brimstone missiles onto the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted air system – safe carriage, safe release and system targeting – with a high success rate against static and high-speed manoeuvring targets.

    However, the final trials report has not yet been completed and it remains too early to say what information from the report, or the trial method, will be published.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Cabinet Manual, paragraph 5.38, whether the convention that the House of Commons should have an advance opportunity to debate significant military action applies to the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles outside Afghanistan when operated from RAF Waddington.

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford, to PQ 198710.