This is a regular round up of Parliamentary questions and answers from ministers relevant to defence issues In addition to oral questions, MPs and Peers can ask government ministers questions for written answer. These are often used to obtain detailed information about policies and statistics on the activities of government departments. In the House of Commons ‘ordinary’ questions do not have to be answered on a specific date. An MP will date a written question for two days after they have tabled it (ie, submitted it for answer via the Table Office). The convention is that the MP can expect it to be answered within seven days of the question being tabled.
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- Statement – Royal Fleet Auxilliary
Question
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for RAF air shows in the UK in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The programme for Royal Air Force air shows is decided on an annual basis.
The following shows have been scheduled in 2012:
RAF Cosford—17 June 2012
RAF Waddington—30 June to1 July 2012
RAF Leuchars—15 September 2012
The long-term future of RAF air shows in 2013 and beyond is under review and as yet no decisions have been made.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Report by Lord Levene on Defence Reform, when he expects the Service Chiefs to have responsibility for budgetary decisions.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The conclusions and recommendations of Lord Levene‘s Defence Reform report are being implemented on a rolling basis. We aim for the new operating model as a whole—and in particular the new capability and finance model, which will also be subject to agreement with HM Treasury—to be implemented from April 2013, including the transfer of responsibilities for equipment and support requirements setting and budgets to the Commands. Some functions and transfers are taking place in 2012. There is a significant amount of further design and implementation work to do between now and April 2013 (and beyond), and transition to these arrangements will be informed by testing of processes and information systems during FY 2012-13. Further adjustments to the model will be made beyond April 2013, including refinement of the new capability and finance model.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 230-1, on armed forces: Germany, what estimate he has made of the saving which will accrue to his Department annually on (a) allowances, (b) education and (c) medical support as a result of British troops returning to the UK from Germany.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Detailed work into the financial savings to be made from the move of personnel from Germany to the UK is still ongoing. Once the rebasing is complete the Department currently expects to make savings in the region of £79 million, £95 million and £46 million on allowances, education and medical support respectively.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which newspapers his Department provides for service personnel overseas.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The following newspapers are, wherever practicable, available free of charge for service personnel deployed on operations overseas and in receipt of the Deployed Welfare Package:
Daily papers
Daily Star
The Independent
The Sun
Sunday papers
The Independent on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Sun on Sunday (from26 February 2012)
Service personnel in non-operational areas overseas such as Germany and Cyprus will have access to NAAFI shops, which have a wide range of similar newspapers on sale.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current procedure is to alert civil authorities to an incoming missile threat.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The Ministry of Defence would use its own and other nations’ technical means to identify an incoming missile threat. The threat would be interpreted by the Space Operations Coordination Centre at Air Command who would produce a warning. The warning would be passed through normal communication channels to the Cabinet Office, who in turn would organise any cross-Government response.
Question
Eilidh Whiteford (Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times search and rescue helicopters from RAF bases in Scotland have been involved in operations to rescue individuals from the sea off the coast of Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The number of rescues from the sea off the coast of Scotland using helicopters based at RAF Lossiemouth in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
| Maritime | Coast | |
| 2007 | 39 | 33 |
| 2008 | 50 | 31 |
| 2009 | 26 | 25 |
| 2010 | 14 | 23 |
| 2011(1) | 19 | 26 |
| (1) Up to 30 November | ||
Maritime call-outs are those that occur more than three nautical miles from the coastline. Coastal figures include those incidents between the high tide line and a distance of three nautical miles from the coast and may occur in the sea, or on the land at the edge of the tide line. Maritime call-outs may occur several hundred miles out to sea and the information provided is for all call-outs at latitudes north of the border between England and Scotland.
Question
Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 529W, on military bases: Chelsfield, what his Department’s normal procedures are for marketing and advertising;
(2) how many organisations expressed an interest in purchasing the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot prior to its sale; and what their names are;
(3) what fee GVA Grimley levied for its services in the sale of the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot;
(4) how many officials of each grade were involved in the sale of the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot;
(5) for what reason clawback conditions were not included in the sale of the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot;
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Marketing and advertising is undertaken by the Ministry of Defence‘s agents GVA Grimley. Advertising is completed on a site by site basis and may include periodicals, journals, direct mailing and for sale boards.
For Chelsfield, 70 companies expressed an interest in the site and were sent a sales pack. 10 companies eventually made a bid for the site. The names of those companies cannot be made available as they are commercial-in-confidence.
GVA Grimley’s fees were in accordance with their contracted rates, details of which are commercial in confidence.
Fewer than 10 officials were involved in the sale of the site.
Clawback is most beneficial where sites have significant development potential. At Chelsfield, this was not considered to be the case and as clawback can restrict the amount bid for a site upfront it was decided not to include conditions within the sale.
Question
Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing new facilities for the arming of nuclear submarines due to (a) a change in Government policy after a referendum in Scotland and (b) a major incident which disables existing facilities;
(2) at how many sites nuclear submarines can be armed in addition to existing bases.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
holding answer19 January 2012
The Government are clear that Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and that the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that the people of Scotland will continue to support the Union in any referendum.
No detailed work has therefore been undertaken to estimate the cost of setting up new facilities for the arming of nuclear submarines or for relocating the Royal Armaments Naval Depot at Coulport to another part of the UK. It is clear from first principles, however, that the cost of relocating such families from Scotland would be extremely high.
Information regarding the number of sites at which nuclear submarines can be armed, in addition to existing bases, is being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured fighting vehicles by type will be returned to the UK from Afghanistan; and what the cost to the public purse will be.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
No decision has yet been taken as to whether those armoured fighting vehicles (including medium and heavy protected patrol vehicles and tactical support vehicles such as Mastiff, Husky, Ridgback, Wolfhound, Warthog and Buffalo) procured under the urgent operational requirements process (to meet specific threats in Afghanistan) will be retained or disposed of. If retained, no decision has yet been taken on type or number of vehicles (with the detailed planning the subject of future departmental annual planning rounds) and, if to be disposed of, the method of the disposal (which can include sales and gifting to the host nation) is unknown at this time. The cost to the public purse cannot be estimated until these decisions are taken.
With regards to those armoured fighting vehicles deployed in Afghanistan from the Army’s core equipment fleet (including the Warrior Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Trojan Armoured Engineer Vehicle, Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) and the Multiple Launch Rocket System), these vehicles will be returned to the UK although the cost of returning them and their subsequent refurbishment is still to be determined.
Question
Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of personnel who have served on deployments to Afghanistan who will not qualify for the diamond jubilee medal.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer20 February 2012
I have made no such assessment. Service personnel who deployed to Afghanistan are eligible to receive the operational service medal. The Queen’s diamond jubilee medal is a commemorative medal and is awarded to all members of the armed forces who have served for five years or more and were in service on6 February 2012, regardless of whether they have undertaken an operational deployment.
Question
Dan Byles (North Warwickshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) officers and (b) soldiers were discharged as being temperamentally unsuited to service life from each of three single services in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
The term “temperamentally unsuited to service life” is applied to those service personnel who, despite considerable efforts to resolve difficulties, cannot adapt to the basic but unique demands of service life, such as toleration of discipline, both self and military, close quarter living, and separation from family. Personnel who are judged by a psychiatrist to be temperamentally unsuited will be administratively discharged.
Administrative discharge from the armed forces can take place for a wide variety of reasons, and it is not possible to determine the number of officers and soldiers who were discharged as being temperamentally unsuited without undertaking a manual review of all administrative discharge records for the last 10 years.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the use of mindfulness-based techniques in the US for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Mindfulness-based cognitive techniques have a range of forms and applications, including educational (in developing effective thinking processes) and medical (in treating some mental health conditions). Specifically, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is recognised by the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as effective for the treatment of mental health disorders such as recurrent depression.
In assessing the possible effectiveness of MBCT for UK military patients, we would certainly take into account the experience of other nations. In this context, in 2011, a new collaborative UK/US taskforce was set up to share best medical and rehabilitation practice, with four working groups being established to take this work forward. The second of these has a specific focus on mental health care issues, and comparison between the different techniques employed by the two countries will form an important part of its work.
Question
Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants his Department employed in (a) May 2005, (b) May 2010 and (c) December 2010.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer20 January 2012
The information requested is as follows:
| Full-time equivalent | |
| Number of civil servants | |
| May 2005 | 108,300 |
| May 2010 | 85,640 |
| December 2010 | 83,770 |
| Notes: 1. All totals have been rounded to the nearest 10 and show full-time equivalents. 2. Total includes personnel in MOD main top level budgets, trading funds, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians. 3. LEC data is updated quarterly. May 2005 total includes LEC numbers at April 2005. May 2010 total includes LEC numbers at April 2010. December 2010 total includes LEC numbers at October 2010. Source: DASA (Quad Service) | |
The Government have announced a reduction of about 32,000 full-time equivalent civilian posts by 2020. This planned reduction is based on the April 2010 total of 85,850 full-time equivalent employees and equates to some 38% of the civilian workforce.
Question
Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effect on the total number of officers of the proposal to reduce the Ministry of Defence police budget by up to 50 per cent.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Possible options to adjust our future requirement for Ministry of Defence police (MOD) services and capabilities are still being considered. Final decisions have not yet been taken about the future budget of the MOD police.
Question
Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on his decision to approve the PR11 options which resulted in a reduction in the budget of the Ministry of Defence Police; and what assessment he has made of these representations.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
As part of the consultation process on the PR11 options that relate to the Ministry of Defence Police, I have met personally with the chairman of the Defence Police Federation on a number of occasions to discuss changes to the Department’s future requirement for civil policing services and capabilities. The views of the Defence Police Federation will be taken into account during the implementation of these changes.
Question
Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department expects to reach a final decision on the future number of Ministry of Defence police officers at each Ministry of Defence site.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The final decision on the number of Ministry of Defence (MOD) police officers at each site will be made after consultation with the relevant staff associations about the implementation of changes to our future requirement for MOD police services and capabilities. We expect this consultation to take place during 2012.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the pooling of maritime patrol aircraft.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The pooling and sharing of maritime patrol aircraft is one of a number of projects within NATO’s wider Smart Defence Initiative which was considered at the recent meeting of NATO Defence Ministers. The UK is not currently planning to participate in this project.
Question
Gemma Doyle (West Dunbartonshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is undertaking any review of arrangements for the security or protection of defence nuclear materials.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Our nuclear security arrangements are kept under continual review and frequently tested. We do not comment on the detailed arrangements for the security or protection of defence nuclear materials.
Question
Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what assessment he has made of the costs of the upgrade of the radar at Staxton Wold radar station; and who will meet the costs of the upgrade;
(2) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of any proposed wind farm developments on the operation of radar at Staxton Wold radar station; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Trials carried out in 2004 and 2005 concluded that wind turbines in line of sight to radars cause significant impact to military operations.
All proposed wind turbine developments undergo detailed technical assessments. Any found to affect the radar at Staxton Wold would be objected to unless suitable mitigation measures were proposed by the developer.
The cost of any mitigation falls to the developers. The MOD assessed and agreed to the proposal made by developers in 2011 to fund the replacement of the existing T102 Air Defence radar at Staxton Wold with a TPS77, which performs significantly better in the presence of wind farms.
Question
Dan Byles (North Warwickshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) how many medical officers recruited into the Royal Army Medical Corps through the medical cadetship scheme left the armed forces before the end of their six years return of service in each of the last 10 years;
(2) what estimate he has made of the average length of service of medical officers in the Royal Army Medical Corps who were recruited through the medical cadetship scheme; and whether the average length of service of such medical officers has fallen or risen in the last five years.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
It is not possible to determine the length of service for officers who were recruited through the medical cadetship scheme without undertaking a manual review of individual records for the last 10 years.
Question
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 8 February 2012, Official Report, columns 300-01, on Libya, from which source the savings to fund the purchase of the new C17 aircraft have been made.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
There is no single source for the savings which were used to fund the purchase of the new C17 aircraft. The funds were generated by a range of savings measures we have been undertaking since the strategic defence and security review.
Question
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 8 February 2012, Official Report, columns 300-01, on Libya, whether the National Security Council was consulted on the decision to purchase a new C17 aircraft.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The National Security Council was not consulted on the decision to purchase a new C17 aircraft.
The procurement of an additional C17 aircraft to increase strategic airlift is assessed as the best means to deliver the strategic direction as set by the National Security Council. As this procurement required expenditure in excess of departmental delegations, approval was sought from HM Treasury.
Question
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the new C-17 military transporter will be delivered.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
On current plans, the aircraft will be delivered in July 2012.
Question
Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of food purchased by his Department was produced in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The majority of UK based Ministry of Defence personnel are catered for under regional or multi-activity contracts, including catering, retail and leisure. Information on the proportion of food procured from UK suppliers under these arrangements is not held. However, contractors are obliged to source on the open market consistent with meeting EU competition rules and quality standards.
Personnel not covered by these arrangements, for instance, those serving on operations overseas, are fed through a single food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd. Approximately 1,150 different food-related items are provided in their core range price list. The proportion of UK sourced food (excluding fresh produce) for the last five full financial years are shown in the following table.
| Financial year | Percentage of UK sourced food (1) |
| 2006-07 | 43 |
| 2007-08 | 59 |
| 2008-09 | 62 |
| 2009-10 | 60 |
| 2010-11 | 60 |
| (1) Excluding fresh produce. | |
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of his Department’s invoices from its private sector suppliers were paid (a) within 14 days, (b) between 15 and 30 days, (c) between 31 and 60 days, (d) between 61 and 90 days and (e) more than 90 days after receipt in the last 12 months.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The information is not available in the format requested. The Ministry of Defence publishes monthly prompt payment statistics, which report on the number of invoices paid by the Department within five working days to UK suppliers and 30 calendar days to all suppliers. These statistics can be found at:
Question
Mark Menzies (Fylde, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from BAE Systems on the White Paper, National Security Through Technology: Technology, Equipment, and Support for UK Defence and Security; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
As of 16 February 2012, BAE Systems have made no formal representations to the Ministry of Defence on the White Paper “National Security Through Technology” (CM 8278) since its publication on 1 February 2012. BAE Systems were among the 180 respondents to the corresponding Green Paper published on20 December 2010.
Question
Adam Afriyie (Windsor, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to promote innovation in the UK defence technology and procurement industry.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The Government, recently published a White Paper “National Security Through Technology” (Cm 8278), which sets out how we will procure technology, equipment, and support to meet the defence and security needs.
The White Paper places a strong emphasis on the role that innovation and technology plays in underpinning most of our equipment and support requirements. That is why we intend to sustain investment in science and technology at a minimum of 1.2% of the defence budget—after years of decline under the previous administration.
We believe that open procurement offers the best catalyst for UK-based industry to be efficient, competitive, and innovative. That is why this Government will continue to support responsible defence and security exports and ensure small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who are an important source of innovation, are able to fulfil their potential. We are also enhancing the role of Centre for Defence Enterprise so that it works more closely with the SMEs it funds; deliberately not specifying technology solutions so suppliers can propose innovative solutions, and encouraging investment in innovation through our proposed Patent Box regime that offers a reduction in corporation tax on profits attributable to patents.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) NATO officials on alerting civil authorities to an incoming missile threat.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend Mr Hammond, has had no recent discussions with either the European Commission or NATO officials on the subject of alerting civil authorities to an incoming missile threat.
Question
Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel with children receiving the service pupil premium have died since the introduction of the premium.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The service pupil premium is a matter for the Department for Education.
Each year, the service pupil premium is allocated to local authorities based on the spring schools census. It is currently £200 per child in academic year 2011-12 rising to £250 in 2012-13 for the children of parents who have declared themselves to be a service family. We encourage service families to identify themselves in this process, to maximise the benefit of the service pupil premium, but this is not mandatory. Census data that is collected is not routinely shared with the Ministry of Defence and as a result, we do not hold the requested information.
Question
Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) how many (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF (ii) full-time personnel and (ii) reservists were based in each (A) region, (B) local authority and (C) constituency in 2011; and how many such personnel he expects to be based in each such area at the conclusion of tranches 1 and 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme;
(2) how many (a) Gurkhas, (b) full-time soldiers and (c) reservists were based in each (i) region, (ii) local authority and (iii) constituency in 2011; and how many such service personnel he expects to be based in each such area at the conclusion of tranches 1 and 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer8 February 2012
The requested information, where available, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Location information in respect of reserve forces is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Tranche 2 of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme was launched on17 January 2012 and the outcome will not be known until June of this year. It is therefore too early to say at this stage how many people in each of these regions will be affected.
Question
Mark Menzies (Fylde, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to improve service personnel housing at Weeton Army Camp.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
99% of the service family accommodation at Weeton is at the two highest standards for condition.
The Ministry of Defence plans to replace doors, windows and boilers in number of properties in the next financial year.
Question
Helen Jones (Warrington North, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of an under-occupancy provision for housing benefit on single members of the armed forces with a parent receiving that benefit.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
I have had no such discussions. However, my officials continue to work closely with other Government Departments on matters that affect members of the armed forces, their families, and veterans within the auspices of the armed forces covenant.
Question
Dan Byles (North Warwickshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian medical personnel have been deployed in operational roles in each of the last 10 years; and what the (a) grades and (b) specialities were of those personnel.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The information requested is provided in the following table:
| Ser (a) | Year (b) | Summary of civilian medical personnel deployed (c) | Number by trade (d) |
| 1 | 2002-07 | —(1) | |
| 2 | 2008 | 1 | 1 x A&E nurse |
| 3 | 2009 | 6 | 2 x ITU nurses |
| 2 x A&E nurses | |||
| 1 x Paediatric nurse |
| 1 x Bio-medical scientist | |||
| 4 | 2010 | 15 | 7 x ITU nurses |
| 4 x Bio-medical scientists | |||
| 2 x Paediatric nurses | |||
| 1 x A&E nurse | |||
| 1 x Pharmacist | |||
| 5 | 2011 | 19 | 4 x ITU nurses |
| 8 x Paediatric nurses | |||
| 1 x Sexual health nurse | |||
| 4 x Bio-medical scientists | |||
| 1 x A&E nurse | |||
| 1 x Pharmacist | |||
| 6 | 2012(2) | 2 | 1 x Paediatric nurse |
| 1 x Bio-medical scientist | |||
| (1) Around 44 civilian medical personnel were deployed on operations between 2002 and 2007. An exact breakdown by year and trade is not available. (2) As at February. | |||
The grades of nurses deployed on operations vary, but all are required to be above “E” Grade. The terms of reference require this as a minimum but do not stipulate a maximum. All contractors’ CVs are vetted by Defence Nursing Advisers.
Civilian nurses that deploy on operations will generally go for a period of three months. Some have opted to extend to six months and some may go twice in a year.
A number of civilian medical welfare officers were also deployed, but they are not included as although they are a vital part of the UK Med Gp they are not part of the deployed clinical capability. This information is available if required for the period 2008 to 2012.
Question
Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to decide the (a) date and (b) numbers of troops to be transferred from Germany to Leuchars.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The Defence Transformation announcement of 18 July 2011set out our strategic long-term direction on the structure of the Army and its basing requirements across the United Kingdom.
The detailed work on the future design of the Army is expected to be completed in spring 2012. Until then, it is too early to say precisely when and how many Army personnel will relocate from Germany to RAF Leuchars.
Question
Stephen Timms (East Ham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the command structure of the Air Training Corps was last reviewed.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The command structure of the Air Training Corps was last reviewed in autumn 2010. A further review is planned later this year.
Question
Stephen Timms (East Ham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of the senior management structure of the Air Training Corps;
(2) what the policy is of the Air Training Corps on replacing serving officers with younger staff in the case of (a) volunteer officers aged 55 to 60 and (b) full-time salaried officers aged 65 to 70;
(3) what the (a) salary, (b) overtime, (c) military pensions, (d) service accommodation and (e) staff car and drivers cost was of each of the Air Training Corps Group Captain posts in each of the last three years; and what proportion of the total budget of the Air Training Corps these costs represented in each such year;
(4) what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of replacing full-time salaried group captains in the Air Training Corps with volunteer officers.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews the cost effectiveness of the senior management structure of the Air Training Corps (ATC) along with other Defence programmes during the annual Planning Round process. Additionally the ATC conducted an internal review of the senior management structure in January 2011; a further review will be undertaken in the summer of 2012.
The Air Training Corps currently has one full-time salaried Group Captain and six B2 grade civil servants, who hold the rank of Group Captain as either RAF Reserve civilian component or as a RAF (Volunteer Reserve Training) officer. These are full time posts and not considered suitable for volunteers.
The Air Training Corps has no full-time salaried RAF officers aged 65 to 70 and has no policy on replacing volunteer officers aged 55 or over with younger officers. All full-time salaried posts at this level are currently filled by personnel employed under civil service terms and conditions, for which there is no compulsory retirement age. The normal retirement age for RAF Volunteer Reserve Training officers is 55. However, the Commandant Air Cadets has the authority to extend beyond this for periods of up to two years if it is considered to be in the best interests of the Corps.
The current salary range for an RAF regular officer at Group Captain level is £81,310 to £89,408. The national salary range for civilian grade B2 is £47,942 to £57,245. The level of any pensions (including service military pension) received as retired RAF officers are matters for the individual and personal information, which is protected under the Data Protection Act. Information regarding overtime, service accommodation and driver support costs is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Statement – Royal Fleet Auxilliary
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Hon. Members will wish to be aware of the progress being made with the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme. I am pleased to announce that after running an international competition, the Department has selected Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) as the preferred bidder for the MARS tanker project and intends to place a contract worth £452 million for the procurement of four double hulled MARS tankers, to be operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). This contract will include two years’ initial provisioning for capital spares, training and training systems. The MARS tankers, which are planned to enter service at yearly intervals from 2016, will replace the existing single hulled Fleet tankers and allow the RFA and Royal Navy to continue to deliver maritime operational support capability worldwide.
The MARS tankers will maintain the Royal Navy’s dedicated replenishment at sea capabilities, operating individually and supporting specific warships or seamlessly integrated as part of a naval task group, including carrier strike and Littoral Manoeuvre operations, thereby helping to meet our aspirations for the Future Force 2020. They will supply aviation and ship fuel to the full range of surface ships worldwide, unrestricted by seasonal variations from tropical to Arctic regions. They will be easily adaptable to incorporate new technologies to meet future operational challenges and have been designed for increased reliability and ease of maintenance. They will meet extant and anticipated maritime safety and environmental legislation while also fulfilling MOD’s commitment to operating vessels to the highest environmental standards possible.
The support to be provided by the MARS tankers is vital to Royal Navy operations, but, they are, in essence, simple auxiliaries. As such, the design, build and integration requirements are not as military specific as complex warship procurements. The competition for the MARS tankers was therefore run internationally and involved leaders in the commercial shipbuilding industry, such as foreign companies in Europe and South Korea. I can confirm that a number of UK companies participated in the competition; however, none submitted a final bid for the build contract. The build contract has been awarded to DSME whose bid demonstrated best value for money proving that, in this case, the best outcome for defence and the UK taxpayer will be met by procuring the MARS tankers from overseas.
I would like to assure hon. Members that UK industry will have an important role in delivering the overall MARS tanker capability. First I am pleased to confirm that the winning design for the MARS tankers has been provided by a UK company BMT Defence Services. I am also pleased to confirm that the UK work content of the main contract is estimated to be up to 20% equating to approximately £90 million, money which DSME will be spending in the UK on contracts for the provision of key equipment, systems, design and support services.
There will be further opportunities for UK industry to be involved in the customisation package of work, to take place in the UK after the MARS tankers have been built, that will provide essential classified features required for deployment and capability assessment trials. All of this is good news for UK industry, particularly small and medium enterprises, who provide specialist skills in our supply chain as this, along with trials and specialist engineering support, will represent up to a further £60 million investment in the UK.
I would also like to challenge any suggestion that this contract signals a change in our commitment to the UK’s shipbuilding industry. The MARS tankers are part of a multi-billion pound investment programme underway for the Royal Navy. This includes Type 45 destroyers, Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers and Astute Class attack submarines all of which are being built in the UK. Subject to approvals, we continue to work towards delivering a fleet of more modern and versatile Type 26 frigates as well as a class of successor submarines. Together these programmes will help to showcase UK industry at its best; sustain skills and specialist capabilities
at home for several decades to come; and ensure that we have the skills base on which we can maximise export opportunities.
The MARS tanker procurement strategy of open and fair competition in the global market is fully aligned with the recently published “National Security Through Technology: Technology, Equipment and Support for UK Defence and Security” White Paper.
Re Newspapers and the answer to Jim Murphy.
I am amazed that a PQ would be answered is such a cavalier method (it certainly would not have used to happen).
It may seem unimportant, but there are no NAAFI shops in Cyprus. That the Secretariat part of the MoD still thinks there are and it is ok to mislead the shadow defence secretary is, in my view, a scandal. If the Department gets simple facts wrong, what faith can MPs have in it getting complex issues correct?
It’s been some years since I was last in Cyprus, but there certainly used to be NAAFI shops on the bases. And a quick google and read of MoD and Directgov sites suggests that they are still to be found over there. Maybe the operators using their own commercial brand name on NAAFI stores is the source of confusion, nevertheless it seemed like a clear and concise reply to the question with the relevant information being provided.
I think you will find NAAFI ceased trading in Cyprus in 2007.
That it seemed a clear and concise answer to a question [which was not asked] is precisely the problem and indicates a slipping of standards in MOD.
The fact of the matter is that the shadow defence secretary has been misled in Parliament. It might be reasonable to take the view that it is of little consequence. On the other hand, if matters of little consequence can not be done correctly, what faith can people have in MOD getting the big issues correct?