Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

British Army in Wales Post Covid

Monday 24 May 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Army has conducted over 74,000 tests and almost 70,000 vaccine inoculations in Wales.
  • The Army remains committed to relocating a major unit to Wales.
  • Fay Jones commends the work done by Brecon and the 160th Welsh Brigade in supporting the covid response.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Fay Jones
Defence Wales
Context

Post-covid-19 measures and support provided by the British Army to Welsh communities.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the British Army in Wales after the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from James Heappey

The Army has organised and conducted more than 74,000 tests, 11,000 ambulance responses and almost 70,000 covid vaccine inoculations in Wales over the past year. As we build on our close relationship with Welsh society, we remain committed to relocating a major regular Army unit to Wales, and the Ministry of Defence continues to examine the options to locate a second major unit to Wales as well.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or commitments to strengthen the British Army in Wales post-covid-19 were not provided beyond vague commitment language.

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Q2 Fay Jones
Defence Wales
Context

Operation Rescript, the Army's response to the covid-19 outbreak in Wales, was established from Brecon barracks. Over 1,200 service personnel have been supporting the NHS in Wales.

Question

Does the Minister agree that this recent activity serves to underline the operational importance of the barracks and further weakens the case to close it in 2027?

Answer from James Heappey

Brecon and, indeed, the 160th Welsh Brigade are fortunate to have such an outstanding local representative making their case in Parliament. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to pay tribute to all the amazing work that they have done in supporting the covid response in Wales. I know that, as a result of all her hard work campaigning on this matter, she was delighted to hear confirmation from my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement that the brigade HQ will remain in Brecon.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask regarding operational importance and case weakening was not addressed directly beyond general agreement and a statement about future plans without providing concrete evidence or commitment to retain barracks post-2027.

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