James Cartlidge MP: written questions 2025
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Written questions
Defence: Digital TechnologyMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the delivery of Project ASGARD.
Answer: The potential merits of expanding Project ASGARD are continually assessed by the Department. Over time, ASGARD will deliver a suite of benefits across the Field Army. At this stage in the project, the capabilities are being operated by a single Brigade. A...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Digital TechnologyMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many units are currently operating under Project ASGARD.
Answer: The potential merits of expanding Project ASGARD are continually assessed by the Department. Over time, ASGARD will deliver a suite of benefits across the Field Army. At this stage in the project, the capabilities are being operated by a single Brigade. A...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Digital TechnologyMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding Project ASGARD.
Answer: The potential merits of expanding Project ASGARD are continually assessed by the Department. Over time, ASGARD will deliver a suite of benefits across the Field Army. At this stage in the project, the capabilities are being operated by a single Brigade. A...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordArmoured Fighting Vehicles: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out of service date is for the Bulldog armoured personnel carrier.
Answer: The current projected Out of Service Dates (OSD) for the requested British Army vehicles can be found in the table below. VehicleOSDBulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier2030Warrior IFV2027Viking Personnel Armoured Vehicle2029Jackal 2 Reconnaissance Vehicle2...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: FoodMinistry of DefenceTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the consultation entitled Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, published on 28 April 2025, whether his Department would be exempt from any potential changes to the Soft Drinks Industry L
Answer: Operational Ration Packs contain flavoured drink powders and fortified flavoured drink powders. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy does not apply to drinks sold as a powder and these drinks will continue to be exempt from the levy.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: ProductionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of only including one food producer on the Food Strategy Board on (a) policy and (b) strategy discussions on food production.
Answer: The Food Strategy Advisory Board is a deliberately small group of senior leaders representing important elements and a wealth of experience from across the food system. Its role is to act as a sounding board to stress test ideas and provide advice. The es...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrunei: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any non-SF training will take place in Brunei between 28 April 2025 and 28 April 2026.
Answer: The Jungle Warfare Division delivers two Jungle Warfare Instructors Courses per year and two Operational Tracking Instructor Courses per year in Brunei for military training. Since 5 July 2024, the Jungle Warfare Division has delivered four courses. Along...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrunei: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, whether he plans to provide an interim capability for Brunei between 7 April 2025 and 7 April 2026 for non-UK SF tra
Answer: Mitigations against jungle training in Brunei are in place. The six Airbus H145 HC2 Jupiter helicopters will deploy and commence operational activity in 2026.
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrunei: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, what non-SF jungle training courses have taken place in Brunei since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The Jungle Warfare Division delivers two Jungle Warfare Instructors Courses per year and two Operational Tracking Instructor Courses per year in Brunei for military training. Since 5 July 2024, the Jungle Warfare Division has delivered four courses. Along...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrunei: GurkhasMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, whether the First Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles make use of jungle training facilities in Brunei.
Answer: The resident Battalion of The Royal Gurkha Rifles continue to make use of jungle training in Brunei within the permitted training parameters.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCyprus: Chinook HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, what steps he is taking to ensure that there will be no loss of operational output from the Chinook fleet as a result of
Answer: Of the two Chinook H-47 currently deployed to cover the aerial firefighting season in Cyprus, one is earmarked for retirement as part of the planned decommissioning of the oldest 14 aircraft in the Chinook fleet. There is no impact on Chinook fleet operat...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPuma Helicopters: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, which non-SF units have undertaken jungle training in Brunei since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The Jungle Warfare Division delivers two Jungle Warfare Instructors Courses per year and two Operational Tracking Instructor Courses per year in Brunei for military training. Since 5 July 2024, the Jungle Warfare Division has delivered four courses. Along...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: TrainingMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, whether the Brunei Jungle Warfare Skills meet will occur in 2025 if a replacement for the Puma capability is not in
Answer: The Jungle Warfare Skills Meet (JWSM) will not occur in 2025 but will run again in 2026 on a biennial cadence, in line with the intention of The Royal Brunei Land Force.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChinook Helicopters and Puma Helicopters: Operating CostsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, how much more it costs in monetary terms to operate a CH47 Chinook than a Puma over a month.
Answer: It is not possible to provide comparable figures for different aircraft over a month. Operating costs associated with individual platforms are dependent on several variables, including the operational outputs delivered in any given month which would affec...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBrunei and Cyprus: Chinook HelicoptersMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44502 on Puma Helicopters: Decommissioning, whether the two CH47 Chinook helicopters currently deployed in Cyprus are provided from the fleet of the 14 Chinook
Answer: Of the two Chinook H-47 currently deployed to cover the aerial firefighting season in Cyprus, one is earmarked for retirement as part of the planned decommissioning of the oldest 14 aircraft in the Chinook fleet. There is no impact on Chinook fleet operat...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Power: Supply ChainsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48482More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase the number of UK SMEs participating in the nuclear programme supply chain.
Answer: The Defence Nuclear Enterprise supply chain is made up of over 3,000 UK-based businesses including many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are contributing significantly to innovation, supply chain efficiency, and local economies. The Ministry of Def...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNuclear Power: Supply ChainsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48481More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the nuclear programme supply chain is open to SMEs from the UK.
Answer: The Defence Nuclear Enterprise supply chain is made up of over 3,000 UK-based businesses including many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are contributing significantly to innovation, supply chain efficiency, and local economies. The Ministry of Def...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Artillery: GurkhasMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48480More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 April 2025 on Creation of the King’s Gurkha Artillery, HCWS 605, whether any financial incentives been offered to encourage serving Gurkhas to transfer to the new uni
Answer: The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) will be employed in the Close Support discipline within the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The KGA will initially be trained on the Light Gun, then ARCHER. They will be trained on the remote-controlled Howitzer 155 artiller...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Artillery: GurkhasMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 April 2025 on Creation of the King’s Gurkha Artillery, HCWS 605, what equipment will the unit be primarily issued with.
Answer: The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) will be employed in the Close Support discipline within the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The KGA will initially be trained on the Light Gun, then ARCHER. They will be trained on the remote-controlled Howitzer 155 artiller...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Artillery: GurkhasMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 April 2025 on Creation of the King’s Gurkha Artillery, HCWS 605, what role the King’s Gurkha Artillery will fulfil within the Royal Artillery.
Answer: The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) will be employed in the Close Support discipline within the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The KGA will initially be trained on the Light Gun, then ARCHER. They will be trained on the remote-controlled Howitzer 155 artiller...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAmmunition: Lost Property and TheftMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37596 on Ammunition: Lost Property and Theft, whether any losses have been referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority.
Answer: All losses and thefts of ammunition are rigorously investigated, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence Police, Service Police and Home Office Police Forces as appropriate. No ammunition was reported stolen during that period and no reports to the Se...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordVoyager Aircraft: In-flight RefuellingMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of fitting a boom air to air refuelling system to the Voyager tanker fleet.
Answer: All capability requirements, including those for Air-to-Air refuelling, are being considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review process.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordA400M Aircraft: In-flight RefuellingMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of upgrading the A400M fleet to include an air to air refuelling system.
Answer: The A400M fleet is equipped with an Air-to-Air refuelling probe. The aircraft is fully cleared to receive fuel while airborne from Voyager aircraft.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Force: In-flight RefuellingMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the RAF's air to air refuelling system.
Answer: All capability requirements, including those for Air-to-Air refuelling, are being considered as part of the Strategic Defence Review process.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversity Officer Training CorpsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 43141 on Armed Forces: Grants, whether members of the University Officer Training Corps count as service personnel.
Answer: Members of the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) are entitled to apply for bursaries in order to support them through university, helping them reach their full potential. UOTC cadets are primarily civilian university students who have volunteered f...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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