Every parliamentary written question tabled by James Cartlidge this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 3,341–3,360 of 3,399 · this parliament
Whether it is his Department's policy to maintain support for Operation Interflex.
Yes, the UK remains committed to supporting Operation INTERFLEX. The next tranche of trainees have arrived in the UK and are undergoing training and we aim to train up to 10,000 personnel in this tranche, subject to Ukrainian demands. We continue to work with international partners to look at where we can work together to improve our training offer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
How many recruits have been trained under Operation Interflex since its inception.
Under Op INTERFLEX the UK has, with support from 12 partner nations, provided training to over 43,500 Ukrainian personnel since June 2022.
How many Ukrainian Armed Forces recruits have been trained by (a) UK armed forces and (b) international partners in the UK since 2014.
This Government is proud of the role UK forces have played in training Ukrainian Armed Forces recruits.Since Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014, the UK has trained over 70,000 Ukrainian personnel. This includes;· Op ORBITAL (2015-2022) - Over 22,000 Ukrainian personnel.· Op INTERFLEX (2022-ongoing) - Over 43,500 Ukrainian personnel.· Wider medical, specialist, air, and maritime training (2022-ongoing) - Over 5,000 Ukrainian personnel.This training has been provided in collaboration with twelve partner nations. We do not hold data for the total number of Ukrainian personnel trained by international partners since 2014.
What plans he has to strengthen ties between the UK and Ukrainian defence industry.
The UK Defence and Business Secretaries met with President Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Umerov and UK industry leaders on 18 July 2024, to discuss deeper cooperation and how to boost industrial production for Ukraine.During this visit, the Defence Secretary and Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov signed the UK/Ukraine Defence Industrial Support Treaty, which will unlock export finance to enable Ukraine to procure UK-produced equipment and support. This Treaty goes beyond immediate assistance to a long-term partnership between the UK's and Ukraine's military and industrial resilience and is a further demonstration of this Government's unwavering support to Ukraine.It also builds on the three successful Trade Missions to Ukraine, and one inward mission to the UK, with more planned, and the annual £1.5 billion of goods and services trade between the UK and Ukraine.
What his policy is on the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukrainian armed forces.
There has been no change in the UK's position on Storm Shadow. I am sure that the hon. Member will understand that I will not go into further detail. We continue to provide military aid to support Ukraine's clear right of self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine.
What is the expected delivery date for the Boxer programme.
The delivery of Boxer is well underway. Initial prototypes were delivered in December 2023 and the first series production vehicles were delivered in June 2024. The Initial Operating Capability is planned for Quarter four 2025, however, wider global supply chain issues remain a delivery risk which are being closely managed.
How much his Department plans to spend on service family accommodation in each financial year of this Parliament.
For Financial Year 2024-25, the funding allocated to the Department for Service Family Accommodation is circa £439 million. The funding allocation beyond Financial Year 2024-25 is not yet known.
How many artillery shells were procured by his Department for Ukraine (a) directly and (b) through international routes since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.
The Ministry of Defence has supplied 400,000 artillery shells to Ukraine since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.On behalf of the International Fund for Ukraine, a substantial ammunition package was announced by the Prime Minister at the NATO summit on 11 July 2024. This package will provide up to 120,000 rounds of 152mm artillery ammunition. The ammunition will be newly manufactured by a European supplier, stimulating new industrial capacity to provide Ukraine with high priority ammunition.
How many small arms ammunition his Department has procured for Ukraine (a) directly and (b) via international routes since the outbreak of the conflict.
The Ministry of Defence has supplied 6,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition to Ukraine since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.We will continue to work with international Allies and partners to cohere and coordinate our support to Ukraine. This includes through the International Fund for Ukraine and through the international Capability Coalitions, as a demonstration of our collective enduring commitment to build a Ukrainian force capable of deterring Russian aggression for the long term.
How many air defence systems were procured by his Department for Ukraine (a) directly and (b) through international routes since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.
The Ministry of Defence has delivered over 2,100 air defence systems and over 5,000 sets of night vision devices since the outbreak of the conflict with Russia.On behalf of the International Fund for Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence has placed contracts for over 500 air defence systems.
How many anti-tank missiles were procured by his Department for Ukraine (a) directly and (b) through international routes since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.
The Ministry of Defence has supplied over 12,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine since the outbreak of that country's conflict with Russia.We will continue to work with international Allies and partners to cohere and coordinate our support to Ukraine. This includes through the International Fund for Ukraine and through international Capability Coalitions, as a demonstration of our collective enduring commitment to build a Ukrainian force capable of deterring Russian aggression for the long term.
What his planned timetable is for delivering improved technology and data management in his Department’s maintenance regime.
The Department seeks to continually improve our technology and data management. We have technology and data strategies which are driving improvements over a number of years and are associated with a large number of individual projects and changes. By its nature this leads to continual, incremental improvement. In the next 12 months we should have largely achieved a review of the condition of our estate and that, combined with new technology to monitor and capture data, and an improved ability to analyse and use data to make decisions, is significantly enhancing how we manage the estate and direct our investment in the most effective manner. A new decision support tool is planned to go live by the end of this year.
Whether it is his policy that the UK will spend at least £3bn on support for Ukraine in each financial year of this Parliament.
Yes. The Ministry of Defence is committed to spending £3 billion a year on military support for Ukraine until 2030-31 or for as long as support is needed.
What steps his Department are taking to ensure veterans are effectively supported to access public services.
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. A range of support is in place to help veterans access services, including an accreditation scheme for NHS Trusts and Primary Care Networks across England to ensure they can best support veterans access health care; Government funded housing support for veterans; Armed Forces Champions across the UK’s Job Centre Plus network to help support members of the Armed Forces community into work; and the veterans’ railcard offering discounts on most rail travel.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish a timescale within which the UK will spend 2.5 per cent of its GDP on defence on the morale of armed forces personnel.
This Government is totally committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on Defence as soon as possible. The Government will set out a clear path to 2.5% at a future fiscal event. Renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve is a priority for this Government. Morale of our Armed Forces is at a record low – the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey published in May 2024 reported that satisfaction with Service life remained at the lowest reported level. In the King's speech the Government announced that we will establish an Armed Forces Commissioner as an independent champion for Service personnel and their families, as a first step to improving Service life.
What his Department's timetable is for ending visa fees for non-UK dependents who have served four or more years in the armed forces.
This Government is committed to scrapping visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served our country for four or more years, and their dependants. The Ministry of Defence has started work with the Home Office to deliver this manifesto commitment.
With reference to the current Prime Minister's announcement of the nuclear triple lock and his statement on the delivery of all future upgrades needed for submarines of 2 June 2024, what is meant by the phrase all future upgrades.
The Government is totally committed to the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent, and will take all steps necessary to ensure it remains credible and effective. We are building four new Dreadnought Class submarines to replace the current Vanguard Class and developing a replacement nuclear warhead, while also maintaining our existing stockpile. We are recapitalising critical elements of our supporting infrastructure to modernise our naval bases and manufacturing capabilities to meet future fleet and weapons requirements.
With reference to the current Prime Minister's announcement of the nuclear triple lock and his statement on the delivery of all future upgrades needed for submarines of 2 June 2024, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of the triple lock in relation to all future upgrades of the nuclear deterrent.
The Government is totally committed to the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent, and will take all steps necessary to ensure it remains credible and effective. We are building four new Dreadnought Class submarines to replace the current Vanguard Class and developing a replacement nuclear warhead, while also maintaining our existing stockpile. We are recapitalising critical elements of our supporting infrastructure to modernise our naval bases and manufacturing capabilities to meet future fleet and weapons requirements.
Whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including an Indo-Pacific defence strategy in his planned Strategic Review.
The threats we face are growing and diversifying: war in Europe, conflict in the Middle East, and global threats increasing. The review will consider the threats Britain faces and the capabilities needed to meet them. As part of this, the SDR will identify ways to nurture the UK's defence ties to the Indo Pacific region including the delivery of the AUKUS partnership with the US and Australia.
Whether his Department plans to deploy the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
Yes, the Ministry of Defence plans to deploy HMS Prince of Wales to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.