Written answers to questions, Defence: Trident Missiles, 30 January 2012
Paul Flynn (Newport West, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what annual service fees are paid to the US Administration for the storage and reprocessing of Trident missiles at the Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic, Kings Bay, Georgia.
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Under the Polaris Sales Agreement as amended for Trident, the UK pays the US Department of Defence an annual contribution towards the overall cost of the US Navy’s Strategic Weapons Facility at Kings Bay, Georgia.
This contribution, which includes storage and reprocessing work, is based on the UK’s share of the overall missile inventory, and amounts to around £12 million a year.
Written answers to questions, Defence: Nuclear Submarines, 30 January 2012
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) which locations are being considered as an alternative operating base for the Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
(2) what criteria his Department plans to use to evaluate future locations for the operating base of Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
(3) which Royal Navy sites are equipped to become the operating base of Vanguard class SSBN submarines;
(4) if he will estimate the likely cost of developing a new operating base for the Vanguard class SSBN submarines.
Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of moving (a) T class and (b) Astute class submarines to Plymouth.
Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made plans for the base porting of Royal Navy nuclear submarines in the case of future independence of Scotland and Scotland becoming a nuclear-free zone.
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the possibility of Scottish independence, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of moving Vanguard class SSBN submarines from Faslane to Devonport.
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence is not making plans to change the base ports of those classes of submarines currently base-ported at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde. The Department does not therefore hold cost estimates or other information that would relate to such changes.
The Government are clear that Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the Union in any referendum.
Written answers to questions, Defence: Submarines, 24 January 2012
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Royal Navy’s requirement for (a) numbers and (b) types of submarines to be available for operations in the next 10 years.
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The Royal Navy’s requirement for submarines was assessed during the strategic defence and security review. Over the next 10 years we plan to maintain a fleet of four Vanguard class ballistic-missile submarines delivering the strategic nuclear deterrent, and a fleet of seven nuclear attack submarines consisting of a mixture of Trafalgar class boats and the new Astute class boats which are replacing them.
Written answers to questions, Defence: Arms Trade, 10 January 2012
Ivan Lewis (Bury South, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department’s officials at each grade are working on the arms trade treaty negotiations; whether there has been any change in the personnel leading on this matter; and whether he expects any further changes to be made before July 2012.
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Two officials from the Department’s Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation branch cover arms trade treaty issues and are active members of the cross-Whitehall team which is led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. These
officials are able to call upon other specialist advice from within the Department as required. There have been no changes to the personnel leading on this matter since June 2011 and it is not expected that there will be any changes to personnel before July 2012.
Written answers to questions, Defence: Arms Trade, 10 January 2012
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which representatives from his Department have attended each of the UN Preparatory Committee meetings for the international arms trade treaty; and which representatives from his Department will attend the meeting in February 2012.
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Representatives from the Department’s Arms Control and Counter Proliferation branch have attended previous preparatory committee meetings on the arms trade treaty. The exact size and make-up of the UK delegation for the preparatory committee meeting in February 2012 will be finalised shortly.
