David Reed MP: written questions
98 published records · newest first.
Written questions
RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave RulerMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17480More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of retiring (a) RFA Wave Knight and (b) RFA Wave Ruler on the Royal Navy's ability to support concurrent operations involving multiple carrier strike grou
Answer: RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler were placed into extended readiness by the previous Government, and have not been available for operations since 2022 and 2017 respectively. As such, the retirements will have no impact on available capabilities. The Roy...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNavy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to retire (a) HMS Albion, (b) HMS Bulwark, (c) HMS Northumberland, (d) RFA Wave Knight and (e) RFA Wave Ruler on the (i) training an
Answer: The retirement of HMS Albion and Bulwark will not impact the operational programme of the Royal Marines, who continue to deploy globally. Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively. This Government i...
Answered 13 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHMS Albion and HMS BulwarkMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of retiring HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark on the ability of the Armed Forces to conduct amphibious operations; and how amphibious troops will undertake
Answer: The retirement of HMS Albion and Bulwark will not impact the operational programme of the Royal Marines, who continue to deploy globally. Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively. This Government i...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRFA Argus: Amphibious WarshipsMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capability of RFA Argus to fulfil the UK's amphibious operational requirements in the absence of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark until the introduc
Answer: The retirement of HMS Albion and Bulwark will not impact the operational programme of the Royal Marines, who continue to deploy globally. Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively. This Government i...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordLanding Ship Dock AuxiliariesMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capability of Bay Class landing dock ships to fulfil the amphibious operational requirements in the absence of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark until the i
Answer: The retirement of HMS Albion and Bulwark will not impact the operational programme of the Royal Marines, who continue to deploy globally. Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively. This Government i...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAircraft Carriers: DeploymentMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the UK's ability to form a fully operational Carrier Strike Group; and how often that Group could be deployed globally.
Answer: The UK remains robust in its ability to form a fully operational Carrier Strike Group (CSG). This has been evidenced in 2024 by the UK CSG involvement in Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR and participation in the NATO Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER. This will be furth...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave RulerMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected annual operational cost savings are from the decommissioning of (a) RFA Wave Knight and (b) RFA Wave Ruler.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence currently forecasts a combined total of £4.5 million per annum for the “Base Maintenance” of RFA Wave Ruler and RFA Wave Knight.
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHMS NorthumberlandMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the (a) cost of repairing and (b) savings from the early decommissioning of HMS Northumberland.
Answer: The cost of potential repairs for HMS Northumberland was estimated to be at least £120 million. The decision taken by the Secretary of State to decommission the ship early has avoided most of this cost, saving the taxpayer in the region of £105 million.
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMulti-role Support Ships: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reallocating funds from the decommissioning of HMS (a) Albion and (b) Bulwark to accelerate delivery of Multi-Role Support Ships.
Answer: The Multi-Role Support Ship programme is in the Concept Phase. It is funded from the Defence budget to enable the Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to conduct detailed preparatory work to deliver first of class by 2033.
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the F-35 programme on the UK's (a) military capability and (b) international influence.
Answer: The F-35B Lightning is a 5th Generation, swing-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology. Whether operating from land or onboard the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers it is a central component of the...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordF-35 Aircraft: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the F-35 programme on (a) the economy, (b) jobs, (c) technological advancement and (d) growth in the (i) aerospace and (ii) defence sectors.
Answer: The F-35B Lightning is a 5th Generation, swing-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology. Whether operating from land or onboard the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers it is a central component of the...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordArmyMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Army has one fully deployable division; and if he will increase that capability to two divisions.
Answer: The British Army has two deployable divisions: 1 (UK) Division and 3 (UK) Division.
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordArmyMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the technological capabilities of combat brigades are effectively improved.
Answer: The Army is currently undergoing a combined programme of work to ensure that our manoeuvre forces will have the lethality, protection and mobility to fight and win against any adversary. Whilst the Army’s modernisation will continue over the next decade w...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDefenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) strengthen the UK's role within NATO and (b) ensure that the UK leads in (i) European and (ii) transatlantic security.
Answer: NATO is the cornerstone of UK and Euro-Atlantic security. Our commitment to NATO is unshakeable. This Government is pursuing a ‘NATO First’ defence strategy. In response to growing threats, the Prime Minister has underlined the UK’s cast-iron commitment t...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDefence: TechnologyMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote collaboration with the private sector to boost domestic production capabilities in critical defence technologies.
Answer: This Government is committed to bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy which ensures the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned. The strategy will boost capabilities in critical defence technologies and enable the U...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDefenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the defence industrial base is prepared to support military readiness.
Answer: This Government is committed to bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy which ensures the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned. The strategy will deliver a better, more innovative and more resilient defence sector ...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: InnovationTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13653More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to encourage (a) innovation and (b) entrepreneurship among SMEs.
Answer: Small businesses and entrepreneurs are vital to high streets and communities, and essential to the success of the Government’s growth mission.At the Budget, the Government announced we would be continuing funding for key business support programmes in 202...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Small BusinessesTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13652More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, whether she has made an assessment of the long-term impact of national insurance increases on the ability of SMEs to invest in (a)
Answer: The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employers’ National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next y...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Research and TechnologyTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13651More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support SMEs in the (a) technology and (b) research and development sectors, in the context of the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answer: At Budget, Government protected record levels of investment with £20.4bn for R&D in 2025/26, on top of support provided through the tax system. The government is supporting commercialisation of our world-class university research by providing at least...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEconomic Growth: Exmouth and Exeter EastTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13650More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage (i) investment in infrastructure and (ii) economic growth and (b) support local businesses in Exmouth and Exeter East constituency.
Answer: As part of the Budget, this Government announced an over £100 billion increase in departmental capital investment over the next five years compared to plans the government inherited.The government has committed £640 million in Bus Service Improvement Plan...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13649More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief on tenants' access to (a) land and (b) secure tenancy agreements.
Answer: The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms, and further explanatory informatio...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13648More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief on the sustainability of domestic food production.
Answer: The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms, and further explanatory informatio...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13647More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the number of farmers affected by the withdrawal of Agricultural Property Relief in (a) East Devon and (b) Exmouth and Exeter East constituency.
Answer: The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms, and further explanatory informatio...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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