Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ajax Programme 2022-06-13 (2)

Monday 13 June 2022 · 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • General Dynamics has proposed changes to address noise and vibration issues in the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle.
  • The final report from independent assessor Millbrook is expected shortly to confirm the changes.
  • The Minister will not proceed without high certainty and will not accept a vehicle not fit for purpose.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevan Jones Lab
Defence
Context

The Ajax programme has faced issues with noise and vibration problems. General Dynamics proposed changes to address these issues, but there is no fix in sight.

Question

What assessment has been made of the initial outcomes of the trials for the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle programme?

Answer from Ben Wallace

General Dynamics has proposed changes to address noise and vibration problems. The changes have been assessed by Millbrook independently, and we expect to receive its final report shortly. We will not proceed without a high degree of certainty, and we will not accept a vehicle that is not fit for purpose.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific outcomes of the trials were not provided.

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Q2 Kevan Jones Lab
Defence
Context

It has been nearly two years since issues with Ajax were identified, and there is no fix in sight. The Minister for Defence Procurement mentioned a parent guarantee in place between GDUK and the parent company.

Question

Is the parent guarantee specific to this contract or is it just a gentleman's agreement?

Answer from Ben Wallace

Given the legal weighting of that question, I think it best if I write to the right hon. Gentleman with the detail. I would not want to say anything at the Dispatch Box that would either cause the taxpayer to suffer unnecessarily as a result of any legal remedy or jeopardise a very important programme as we are trying to fix its problems and roll it out.

Not addressed: The questioner's specific inquiry about the nature of the parent guarantee was not addressed directly, and instead the answer suggested writing for further details.

How: Given The Legal Weighting Of That Question, I Think It Best If I Write To The Right Hon. Gentleman With The Detail.

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