Lord Lyell: My Lords, I am delighted that the noble Baroness, Lady Dean, has returned to the Chamber-I wonder whether because she saw that I was about to speak. Many of your Lordships have spoken of the very distinguished noble and gallant Lords present in the Chamber. Although reference has been made to Mr James Arbuthnot, the chairman of the Select Committee in another place, I hope that your Lordships...
Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of fulfilling the UK's obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation in respect of civilian search and rescue using (a) the Nimrod MRA4 and (b) alternative arrangements; and if he will make a statement; (2) pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns...
Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he has made to provide search and rescue cover for (a) Typhoons and (b) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters refuelling over the ocean from the new Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft following the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the basic combat radius is of the F-35 Lightning-11 C-model.
Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the United States Government in 2011 about the possibility of withdrawing from the F-35 aircraft programme.
Peter Luff: holding answer 12 September 2011 The Strategic Defence and Security Review called for one Queen Elizabeth (QE) class aircraft carrier to be converted to operate the more capable and cost-effective carrier variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The National Audit Office's report on Carrier Strike, published on 7 July 2011, estimated the cost of converting a single carrier at £800 million...
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects to be saved in (a) Resource departmental expenditure limit, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total by (i) withdrawing Sentinel R.1 from service between 2015 and 2020, (ii) not taking Shadow R.1 into permanent RAF service between 2015 and 2020, (iii) not taking Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle into...
Peter Luff: The F-35 joint strike fighter slow-down.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Hyndburn of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 574, and to the answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Fylde of 1 November 2011, Official Report, column 758, on BAE Systems, whether the job losses at BAE Systems are due to a slow down in the Eurofighter programme or...
Tobias Ellwood: My right hon. Friend makes a powerful argument, much of which I agree with, but in the interests of balance, will he concede that there is another side to the coin? The Apache helicopter, which we purchased, made by Boeing, was built in the UK, not by the American work force. We also make kit that is exported: the empennage—the rear section—of the F-35, designed for an American market, is...
Menzies Campbell: Does the Minister recall that an important factor in the decision to continue with the construction of the two aircraft carriers was the availability of the F-35, the joint strike fighter? Is he aware of reports that there is a delay in its development programme? What will be the impact on the effectiveness of the carrier force if there are no aircraft to fly off them?
Peter Luff: A number of potential solutions to the UK's requirement for a joint combat aircraft able to provide a survivable and sustainable expeditionary air capability were considered prior to the decision in 2001 to select the F-35 joint strike fighter. These alternative solutions included an Advanced Harrier, a navalised Typhoon and the F/A 18 Super Hornet. The decision to select the F-35 joint...
Thomas Docherty: It is an absolute pleasure to take part in the debate, and I commend our Select Committee Chairman, the right hon. Member for North East Hampshire (Mr Arbuthnot), for his work on securing it. It is also an absolute pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray). I found myself agreeing with pretty much everything that he said, although I would suggest that many people did...
Alison Seabeck: In view of the important role that SMEs play in some of our bigger programmes, and their need to be confident in the process and to have security of outcome, will the Minister give the House some clarity on the intention for the F-35 programme? In particular, given rumoured reductions in orders from the USA, Australia and Canada, does he expect the price that the MOD pays for each F-35 to...
Menzies Campbell: On 19 December, I asked in Defence questions about the state of the carrier fleet and the aircraft to fly from it. Rather to my surprise, I got the old ministerial brush-off. If I say I have heard echoes of that so far today in the Secretary of State’s answers, perhaps I will not be criticised. It has been known for months that the F-35 programme, so far as it relates to the aircraft the...
David Rutley: Let’s keep football out of this. Coming back to the Finance (No. 4) Bill, it is tremendous to have the opportunity to speak in this important debate. Now that we are nearly halfway through this Parliament, it is important to think about our direction of travel. It is clear that under this Government, Britain has returned to economic credibility, and is laying the foundation for private...
Peter Luff: holding answer 26 April 2012 The F-35 training syllabus and delivery method has not yet been finalised. Therefore the length of time and associated cost to train an individual to operate Joint Strike Fighter aircraft is not quantifiable at this time.
Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of autonomy the UK will have in relation to (a) mission systems and (b) computer systems for the (i) F-35 and (ii) Rivet Joint aircraft; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the operational role of HMS Prince of Wales; whether recent decisions on the procurement of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have caused those plans to be modified; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the procurement of the F-35 joint strike fighter jet; and if he will make a statement.