Parliamentary Answers – Week Ending 2nd March 2012
Share by EmailThis 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.
Question
Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of the stock of UK military equipment in Afghanistan which is (a) suitable and (b) unsuitable for use by Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF); what assessment he has made of whether UK equipment is (i) economic and (ii) uneconomic for (A) return to the UK and (B) gifting to the ANSF; who will operate complex military systems required for post-2014 operations in Afghanistan; what research and development his Department is commissioning from UK defence companies for alternative military systems for use by the ANSF after the withdrawal of specialist International Security Assistance Force operators; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
In accordance with transition, the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan is providing training to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to ensure that they are appropriately equipped and ready to assume full security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014. While some international forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond this date (to provide further training and support), the ANSF will be responsible for operating and sustaining their own equipment. The commissioning of equipment for the ANSF after 2014 will be a decision for the Afghan Government. However, we hope that there will be a place for UK industry to support them.
Work on managing the recovery of UK equipment is under way. However, it is too early to state what equipment we plan to retain and whether any will be gifted to the Afghans. We are conscious that uncoordinated gifting could put ANSF sustainability at risk; the underlying requirement is that all gifted equipment is sustainable in terms of cost of ownership, support and enduring training. Our approach on gifting will, therefore, be co-ordinated with that of NATO and ISAF. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis using the principles of operational priority and value for money to the UK taxpayer.
Question
Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the potential vulnerability of UK military training personnel to insurgent attack following the withdrawal of UK combat forces, with reference to the proposed training academy for Afghan National Security Forces officers.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
UK and international forces are helping to build the strength and capability of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to ensure that they are ready to accept full security responsibility across Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Progress continues to be made in building the force: they are deploying in formed units; carrying out their own operations; and planning complex security arrangements. They have responded to a series of high-profile attacks promptly, professionally and increasingly independent of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) support. After 2014, UK troops will continue to support the ANSF by providing training at the new Afghan National Army Officer Academy. We will continue to work with other ISAF nations and the Afghan Government to ensure that necessary force protection measures are in place for UK military personnel.
Question
Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role his Department foresees for UK defence equipment manufacturers in the implementation of the planned expenditure of (a) NATO and (b) US funds designated for the purchase and provision of (i) military equipment and (ii) training packages for the Afghan National Security Forces after 2014.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Work that will determine the future size and shape of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is ongoing. In tandem, detailed planning is under way that will set out how the forces will be funded beyond 2014. Consequently it is too early to give an assessment of the prospective role that UK defence manufacturers may have in equipping and training the ANSF beyond this date.
The ANSF are on target to reach their maximum “surge” size of 352,000 by November 2012, and are being equipped to support that number. Beyond 2014 the focus will be on sustainment and NATO is giving increasing emphasis to the enabling functions necessary to ensure the self sufficiency of the forces as they get ready to take full responsibility for security across the country.
The commissioning of equipment for the ANSF after 2014 will be a decision for the Afghans themselves, though we hope that there will always be a place for UK industry to apply to support them.
Question
Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what potential gaps his Department has identified in Afghan National Security Forces’ post-2014 capability with particular reference to counter-improvised explosive device technology.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Developing the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is a key part of our counter-insurgency strategy. They have an essential role to play in providing both security and governance in Afghanistan.
The training of the ANSF is a NATO-led process conducted through the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. NATO supports ISAF to ensure that the ANSF are capable of providing security across Afghanistan by the end of 2014. This includes training to develop the Afghan Counter—Improvised Explosive Device capability so that they will be able to meet any remaining IED threat by 2015.
Both the Afghan Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior have Counter-Improvised Explosive Device departments. A number of training courses are offered to their personnel ranging from a 13-week Explosive Ordnance Device course to a four-week Explosive Hazard Reductions course. Training to build the Afghan’s Counter-Improvised Explosive Device capability is progressing in step with the transition timetable.
Question
Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department gives to the British Antarctic Survey.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The Ministry of Defence provides a range of logistic support to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). BAS utilises the Falkland Islands military airbridge and has access to East Cove Military Port in the Falkland Islands for water, fuel and other stores. BAS is charged for use of the airbridge and for stores provided. Royal Navy vessels deployed to the South Atlantic make regular port calls to BAS bases on South Georgia. The Royal Navy ice patrol vessel which is present in the region throughout the austral summer provides some logistical support to BAS assets in Antarctica.
Question
Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Plaid Cymru)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what savings were made from the restructuring of Ministry of Defence Logistics, Bicester in 2008;
(2) whether an evaluation was conducted of the restructuring of Ministry of Defence Logistics, Bicester in 2008.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The restructuring of the former Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA), of which Logistic Services Bicester was a part, was considered under the Future Defence Supply Chain Initiative (FDSCi). In November 2009, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) published a FDSCi Value for Money Post-Project Review and Lessons Learnt report. This assessed the financial savings to the agency as being £31 million per year in 2005-06, rising to £46 million per year by the end of 2009-10. These figures were not presented on a site-by-site basis and savings from the FDSCi initiative that can be directly attributed to Logistic Services Bicester are not available.
In August 2010, DSDA relinquished its agency status and its responsibilities were absorbed into DE&S, its parent organisation.
Question
Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Plaid Cymru)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what the total mileage covered by his Department’s trucks from MOD Bicester was in each year since 2005;
(2) how many miles were driven by drivers from (a) Palletways, (b) couriers, (c) hauliers and (d) other non-Ministry of Defence organisations using MOD Logistics Bicester in each year between 2005 and 2010;
(3) how many drops his Department’s trucks using MOD Bicester made in each year between 2005 and 2010;
(4) what proportion of the miles driven by drivers on behalf of MOD Logistics were driven south of Northampton in each of the last three years;
(5) what the cost of MOD Bicester Logistics staff drivers was in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10;
(6) what the total tonnage of supplies transported by Ministry of Defence Bicester was in each year since 2005.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Information about the mileage and number of deliveries made by Ministry of Defence (MOD) owned road vehicles based at Logistic Services Bicester is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on the cost of drivers employed by the MOD at Logistic Services Bicester is not available in the format requested. The following table contains the manpower costs of the industrial staff employed in the road transport section at that site. Not all of these personnel will be employed as drivers.
| £ million | |
| 2006-07 | 2.2 |
| 2007-08 | 2.4 |
| 2008-09 | 2.9 |
| 2009-10 | 2.2 |
The increase in manpower costs shown in the table for 2007-08 and 2008-09 was because of increased transport activity in support of the reorganisation of Defence Storage and Distribution at that time.
Information about the mileage undertaken by contract freight services (including special courier) from Logistic Services Bicester and information about the tonnage of material transported by either MOD transport or contract freight services from Logistic Services Bicester is not held.
Question
c Goldsmith (Richmond Park, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the number of service family accommodation properties that will benefit from the Green Deal.
Answer
Gregory Barker (Minister of State (Climate Change), Energy and Climate Change; Bexhill and Battle, Conservative)
DECC and Ministry of Defence officials are working together to ensure that service family accommodation benefits from the high levels of energy efficiency which can be delivered by the Green Deal. However, accommodation for service families is provided on a different basis to typical tenancy arrangements and so officials are also investigating whether an adapted approach could be taken which would be more suitable for service family accommodation.
Question
Madeleine Moon (Bridgend, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) how many people were suspended from duty as an officer of the Air Training Corps in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and if he will make a statement;
(2) how many suspensions from duty as an officer of the Air Training Corps are outstanding from (a) 2010 and (b) 2011; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The available information for the number of Air Training Corps (ATC) RAF Volunteer Reserve (Training) (RAFVR(T)) officers suspended in each of the years requested and for those still outstanding is as follows:
| Number of officers suspended | Outstanding suspensions from duty (1) | |
| 2010(2) | 3 | 2 |
| 2011 | 11 | 9 |
| 2012(1) | 3 | 3 |
| (1 )Up to 20 February 2012.( ) (2) Data collated from August 2010. | ||
Question
Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force on hotel rooms for service personnel in the latest period for which figures are available. [R]
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The value of hotel room bookings made through the Defence Travel contract for each of the three armed forces during financial year 2011-12 (as at the end of January) has been as follows:
| £ million | |
| Royal Navy | 3.4 |
| Army | 8.2 |
| Royal Air Force | 6.3 |
Room bookings are generally made on bed and breakfast terms. A small proportion of hotel bookings are not made through the normally mandated Defence Travel contract, but we do not hold a breakdown of such bookings by individual service.
Hotel and guest house accommodation for members of the armed forces is generally only arranged where the provision of service accommodation is not a practical alternative, for example in support of military operations and exercises.
Question
William McCrea (South Antrim, DUP)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department is providing to families of those who are experiencing mental health disorders as a result of their service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The Government take very seriously their responsibility to ensure that service personnel, their families and veterans are properly looked after. We provide support to families of service personnel who experience mental health difficulties through the national health service and social services. In addition to a 24 hours mental health helpline, the Department of Health, together with Combat Stress, have made available to service personnel and their families, ‘The Big White Wall’, an online well-being network staffed by professional counsellors both day and night. Additional local support is available through HIVE, SSAFA, and WRVS.
Question
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of Package 1 of the Defence Training Review; and what payments were made to (a) the Welsh Government and (b) Metrix.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The total cost of the Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 programme was some £158.5 million. This includes items such as personnel, training transformation and early works at Ministry of Defence St Athan. Of this total, £95.964 million was paid to Metrix. I can confirm that no payments have been made to the Welsh Government.
Question
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a mandatory break period for senior (a) military officers and (b) civil servants of his Department between leaving employment by his Department and taking up employment in private sector defence companies or companies with defence divisions.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Former Ministry of Defence civil servants and military officers are subject to the Business Appointments Rules which form part of their terms and conditions of service and apply for two years after leaving Crown service. The rules include a requirement for those at permanent secretary and equivalent levels to serve a minimum waiting period of three months between leaving paid civil service employment and taking up an outside appointment or employment. Copies of the rules are accessible at:
http://acoba.independent.gov.uk/former_crown_servants.aspx
Question
Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to return HMS Endurance to active duty in Antarctica.
Answer
Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)
Options are currently being developed for how the Ministry of Defence will provide its Ice Patrol Ship capability in the longer term. A decision on the way forward is expected later in 2012. While this process is under way, no work is being undertaken on HMS Endurance. HMS Protector currently provides this capability to the Royal Navy having commenced her maiden deployment in November 2011.
Question
Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many remote operating vehicles are on board HMS Protector.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
There are no remote operating vehicles on board HMS Protector.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the US Department of Defence’s decision to delay the procurement of 179 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft on the in-service date of Joint Combat Aircraft.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
As a level 1 partner on Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) the UK has worked closely with the US Department of Defence on JSF production costs following their recent declaration of production slowdown. The resultant increases in aircraft costs are currently judged to be within the provision that the Department has made in the current budget planning round and therefore will not impact upon the introduction of JSF into UK service in 2020. The costs of all our programmes, including JSF, are kept under constant review.
Question
Graeme Morrice (Livingston, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) when he plans to publish a detailed timetable and budget for the establishment of the proposed army base at Kirknewton;
(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the Scottish government and (b) West Lothian council on the proposed army base at Kirknewton;
(3) what steps his Department has taken to upgrade the RAF Kirknewton site to enable it to become the base of one of the Army’s multi-role brigades.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The announcement made on 18 July 2011, Hansard, columns 66-70WS, on Defence Transformation, set out our strategic long-term direction on the size of both regular and reserve forces in the Army. This led to the Army 2020 study which is expected to be complete in spring 2012.
Ahead of the outcomes of this study and further detailed planning work within the Department, no work has yet been undertaken at Kirknewton.
In the last few months there have been a number of engagement meetings held with the Scottish Office, Scottish Government, and local councils and these will continue to ensure all stakeholders are actively engaged and kept informed.
Question
Caroline Dinenage (Gosport, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what roles are performed by Ministry of Defence police officers in Gosport constituency.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Within the Gosport constituency, the Ministry of Defence police provide armed and unarmed policing, mobile, foot and dog patrols, incident response and a criminal investigation capability.
Question
Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) whether his Department has conducted a risk assessment in respect of the potential movement of munitions and explosives on the road network arising from implementation of Option 2A of Project Hadrian;
(2) whether he has estimated the potential cost of the maintenance of facilities at other sites arising from the closure of DM Longtown;
(3) whether his Department has undertaken a social and economic impact study on the implementation of Option 2A of Project Hadrian;
(4) what assessment he has made of the potential risks of implementing Option 2A of Project Hadrian;
(5) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of Project Hadrian to date.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
holding answer23 February 2012
No decisions on the future of Defence Munitions (DM) Longtown have been taken. Work under Project Hadrian to refine and evaluate the options for a munitions storage solution is ongoing, with a decision on the way forward expected later this year.
The ongoing work will assess the potential risks associated with all the options being examined under Project Hadrian, including the possible closure of DM Longtown and any associated potential changes to the transport of munitions and explosives. Project evaluation will consider the potential cost of maintenance of facilities at other sites and a social and economic impact study will also be undertaken.
The estimated cost of Project Hadrian to date is £2.7 million which includes £1.8 million for technical support.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to install Lockheed Martin TPS-77 3D long-range radar equipment in Scotland.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence currently has no plans to install Lockheed Martin TPS-77 3D long-range radar equipment in Scotland.
Question
Chris White (Warwick and Leamington, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to implement the principles of the Best Value Statutory Guidance in respect of (a) giving at least three months’ notice to voluntary and community organisations and their service users when reducing or ending funding, (b) engaging with voluntary and community organisations and service users as early as possible before making a decision on the future of the service, any knock-on effects on assets used to provide this service and the wider impact on the local community and (c) making provision for voluntary and community organisations and service users to put forward options on how to reshape the service or project.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The Best Value Statutory Guidance is intended to apply to local authorities rather than to central Government Departments and their agencies. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is, however, committed to the principles set out in the renewed National Compact, the agreement which aims to ensure that Government and voluntary and community organisations work effectively together for the benefit of citizens and local communities. Along with all other central Government Departments, the MOD and its agencies are also signed up to the fair standards set out in paragraph five of the Best Value Statutory Guidance.
The MOD has a long history of working closely and successfully with voluntary and community organisations to support both local communities and the armed forces community.
Question
ngus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on that country’s planned reduction in its nuclear arsenal.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
Officials and Ministers have regular dialogue with the United States on a range of defence issues, including deterrence and disarmament. The UK welcomes progress towards our vision of a world without nuclear weapons.
Question
Lord Moonie (Labour)
To ask what are the job titles of all senior officers in HM Forces at the rank of three star and above.
Answer
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
The information requested is provided in the following table.
Job titles of all senior officers in HM Forces at the rank of three star and above.
| Appointments at Three Star and Above |
| Navy Appointments |
| First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff |
| Commander in Chief Fleet and Commander Allied Maritime Command Northwood (NATO) |
| Second Sea Lord and Commander in Chief Naval Home Command |
| Deputy Commander in Chief Fleet and Chief of Staff Navy Command Headquarters |
| Army Appointments |
| Chief of the General Staff |
| Commander Land Forces |
| Team Leader Army 2020 |
| Adjutant General |
| Commander Force Development and Training |
| RAF Appointments |
| Commander-In-Chief Air |
| Chief of the Air Staff |
| Deputy Commander-In-Chief Operations |
| Deputy Commander-In-Chief Personnel/Air Member for Personnel |
| MoD Centre Appointments |
| Surgeon General |
| Chief of Defence Intelligence |
| Chief of Defence Staff |
| Vice Chief of Defence Staff |
| Defence Senior Adviser to the Middle East |
| Director General Military Aviation Authority Headquarters |
| UK Military Representative NATO Headquarters |
| Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Capability |
| Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Personnel and Training |
| Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) |
| Chief of Defence Intelligence |
| Joint Force Command Deputy Commander |
| Defence Equipment & Support Appointments |
| Chief of Materiel (Fleet) (and Chief of Fleet Support on the Navy Board) |
| Chief of Materiel (Land) and Quartermaster General |
| Chief of Materiel (AIR)/Air Member for Material |
| Permanent Joint Headquarters Appointments |
| Chief of Joint Operations, PJHQ |
| Deputy Commander International Security Assistance Force and United Kingdom National Contingent Commander – Afghanistan |
| Commander Joint Force Command Headquarters |
| NATO, EU and International Appointments |
| Chief of Staff Supreme Allied Commander (Transformation), NATO |
| Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe |
| Commander Allied Rapid Reaction Corps |
Question
Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons his Department has learned from the experience of the supply of post-withdrawal (a) equipment and (ii) training packages in Iraq.
Answer
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer23 February 2012
The Ministry of Defence has not supplied any equipment to Iraq since before the end of Combat Operations on 31 July 2009. Our programme of officer training in the UK continues and has not suffered any significant problems. Training in Iraq through the NATO training mission came to an end in December 2011.
Question
Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons systems are used by the Apache helicopter.
Answer
Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)
The Apache AH Mk1 weapons systems are 30mm Automatic Cannon, wing mounted 70mm Ariel Rocket and Hellfire Modular Missile Systems. The Apache is capable of carrying any combination of these pylon-mounted rockets and/or missiles.
The Apache AH Mk1 factsheet, is available on the Ministry of Defence website at:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Factsheets/EquipmentFactsheets/ApacheAhMk1.htm
Question
Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department plans to develop a permanent helicopter carrier capability which would include Apache helicopters.
Answer
Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)
The means for delivering our future landing platform helicopter (LPH) capability have not yet been decided, nor has the eventual out-of-service date of HMS Ocean, which provides the current capability. These decisions will be taken to ensure coherence with the introduction into service of the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.
While not originally designed as a maritime helicopter, the Ministry of Defence has modified and cleared the Apache to support maritime operations, such as those demonstrated from HMS Ocean on Op Ellamy (Libya). The Government believes that a modern carrier capability should be able to undertake a variety of roles, and the flexibility of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will allow them to be optimised around an air group consisting of the joint strike fighter and Merlin helicopter, with a number of other platforms, including Apache, designated as ‘secondary aircraft’.
Question
Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the performance of Apache during Operation Ellamy.
Answer
Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)
Apache helicopters performed well on Operation Ellamy, deploying from HMS Ocean for the first time, and made a substantial contribution to the NATO mission to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and protect the civilian population of Libya.
Question
Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters there are in the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Marines.
Answer
Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)
None. All Apache helicopters are Army assets. However, some Apache helicopters are flown by aircrew from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, as part of a longstanding tri-service exchange programme.
Question
Rachel Reeves (Leeds West, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department were in receipt of the continuity of education allowance in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what the cost to his Department was in respect of staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each year.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer27 February 2012
The purpose of continuity of education allowance (CEA) is to allow the children of service personnel to achieve a stable education against a background of parental postings both at home and overseas.
The amount paid to service personnel based in the UK and overseas for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 can be found in the following table.
| Financial year | Number of personnel receiving CEA | Amount paid to personnel in UK (£ million) | Amount paid to personnel overseas (£ million) |
| 2009-10 | 6,020 | 90.9 | 20.4 |
| 2010-11 | 6,090 | 94.6 | 20.2 |
Elements of CEA are subject to a pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) settlement agreement with (HMRC) for tax purposes. Therefore, in addition to the money paid to individuals, the MOD also makes payments to HMRC for tax and national insurance (NI) following the grossing up of CEA. The amounts paid for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 can be found in the following table.
| Financial year | Tax and NI costs (1) (£ million) |
| 2009-10 | 65.6 |
| 2010-11 | (2)83.4 |
| (1) Costs for tax and NI quoted are for all personnel, irrespective of location. (2) The significant increase in Tax and NI costs are due to a variety of factors including an increase in the value of the PAYE settlement with HMRC and changes in tax bands. | |
Question
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will update the Defence Training Review 2000 to take account of the 2010-15 Strategic Defence and Security Review for the purposes of calculation and assessment of future military training needs.
Answer
ndrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
There are no current plans to update Defence Training Review 2000 because the Strategic Defence and Security Review process offered, and will continue to offer, the opportunity to review training and education across Defence.
Question
David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers, (c) mobile telephones, (d) BlackBerrys, (e) CD and DVD discs, (f) removable hard disk drives, (g) printers, (h) backup tapes, (i) USB memory sticks and (j) other IT assets that were reported lost in 2011 were lost in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer27 February 2012
The MOD takes any loss of CIS and associated media storage devices very seriously and has robust procedures in place to stop this happening, and investigate when it does. New processes, instructions and technological aids are also being implemented to reduce to a minimum human error and raise the awareness of every individual in the MOD.
The following table sets out how many (a) desktop computers, (b) laptop computers, (c) mobile telephones, (d) BlackBerrys, (e) CD and DVD discs, (f)removable hard disk drives, (g) printers, (h) backup tapes, (i) USB memory sticks and (j) other IT assets that were reported lost in 2011 were lost in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas.
| CIS Asset | Lost within UK | Lost overseas | Total |
| Desktop computers | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Laptop computers | 36 | 20 | 56 |
| Mobile telephones | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| BlackBerry’s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| CD and DVDs | 78 | 162 | 240 |
| Removable hard disk drives | 30 | 9 | 39 |
| Printers | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Backup tapes | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| USB Memory sticks | 28 | 6 | 34 |
| Notes: 1. These are only the incidents that were reported to the Joint Security Co-ordination Centre (JSyCC) and may not include any losses which are in the reporting process. 2. These totals do not include incidents which are currently under investigation and may also include some losses relating to accounting anomalies during force rotation and/or disposal activities: 3. The data does not necessarily take account of assets that have subsequently been found or returned. To determine where this is the case, each incident would have to be individually reviewed in detail and it has not been possible to do so in the time available. | |||
Question
Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the UK has provided to the Libyan Government to integrate militia forces in the Libyan armed forces.
Answer
Alistair Burt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Afghanistan/South Asia, counter terrorism/proliferation, North America, Middle East and North Africa), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
The complex process for integrating militias forces in Libya into the state security services is led by the Libyan authorities with international support led by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Through our embassy in Tripoli, the Government have been working closely with UNSMIL to help shape and implement the Libyan Government’s plan, including through a security workshop in Tripoli on 20 and 21 February. A UK senior policing adviser is assisting the Minister of Interior with police reform, including reintegration of militia members. Our defence adviser in Tripoli continues to monitor the reintegration programme, and the British Government are looking at options to provide rapid strategic advice to the Libyan Ministry of Defence.
Question
Lord Moonie (Labour)
To ask what is the Royal Air Force’s ordinary non-operational budget for fuel, oils and lubricants; and what steps they are taking to improve the efficiency of consumption.
Answer
Lord de Mauley (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)
The RAF does not record separate budgets for the operational and non-operational use of fuels, oils and lubricants for non-deployed aircraft; budgets are set based upon the planned activities, including standing operational commitments, in order to meet defence tasks. The budgeted costs for financial year 2011-12, which includes diesel for ground vehicles, heating oil, aviation fuel and various other oils and lubricants, is approximately £212 million.
In all its activities the RAF aims to make the most effective use of its fuel resources. Examples include the introduction of more fuel efficient aircraft, the increased use of synthetic training as well as ongoing investigations into other methods to improve fuel efficiency.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions fixed wing top cover search and rescue RAF aircraft were (a) requested by and (b) provided to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last five years; and where each incident took place.
Answer
Michael Penning (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Roads and Motoring), Transport; Hemel Hempstead, Conservative)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will request, if required, that the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at RAF Kinloss scramble the most appropriate aircraft for a search and rescue mission. The number of times a Nimrod has been scrambled in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Number | |
| 2007 | 21 |
| 2008 | 29 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 0 |
This information is available on the Defence Analytical Services and Advice website
www.dasa.mod.uk
Details about the location of each of the incidents are available in the search and rescue annual reports, available at:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index. php?page=67&pubType=0&thiscontent=1500&date=2012-02-22
Question
Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on his proposal to recruit former members of the armed forces as teachers; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Nick Gibb (Minister of State (Schools), Education; Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Conservative)
holding answer27 February 2012
We have worked closely with the Ministry of Defence and the Training and Development Agency for Schools on ways to bring more service leavers into the teaching profession. 155 Service leavers have applied for initial teacher training courses this year, which is significantly higher than the 40 to 50 we would normally expect to receive. Further to this, we have reserved 50 additional places on the Graduate Teacher programme, to commence from September 2012, which will be available exclusively to service leavers.
We are also developing a new high quality programme which will recruit and train the most talented service leavers as teachers. We will announce further details of this programme later this year.
Question
Greg Knight (East Yorkshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 336W, on radar: wind power, if he will list the location of the three new windfarm-tolerant radars referred to in that answer.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The first of the new wind farm tolerant radars was installed in September 2011 at remote radar head (RRH) Trimingham, Norfolk. Two additional windfarm-tolerant radars at RRH Brizlee Wood, Northumberland and RRH Staxton Wold, North Yorkshire are scheduled for installation in January 2013 and September 2013 respectively.
Question
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current operations allowance is for members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan; and whether an enhanced operational allowance will continue to be paid to all those serving on future operations in that country.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The aim of the operational allowance is to recognise the significantly increased and enduring nature of the danger in specified operational locations. Our armed forces are currently deployed to the most demanding areas of conflict. It is right that they receive allowances, such as the tax free operational allowance, for the day-to-day demands of a deployment in Afghanistan.
The current single rate of the operational allowance, doubled by the coalition Government in May 2010, is £29.02 per day tax free. This equates to £5,280 for a typical six month tour of duty. While we keep the locations for which the operational allowance is payable under constant review we have no current plans to change it for personnel in Afghanistan.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2012, Official Report, column 774W, on armed forces: mental health services, how often the four working groups examining joint working with the US on rehabilitation practices have met since they were established.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Since being set up in October 2011, the four working groups have conducted most of their business by a combination of teleconferences and email. Formal meetings have taken place as follows:
Working Group 1 (Transition from Military to Civilian Life) has held four teleconferences.
Working Group 2 (Mental Health) has held four teleconferences.
Working Group 3 (“Wounded Warrior” Rehabilitation) has held two teleconferences.
Working Group 4 (Military Family Support) has held one teleconference.
Between meetings, working group members have also corresponded regularly by telephone and e-mail.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which universities his Department is working with to improve psychological testing and training in the armed forces.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a close working relationship with , primarily through the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), which is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research. The MOD’s own Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health (ACDMH) is also based at King’s College, and works closely with KCMHR on a range of research aimed at understanding and improving the mental health of the UK armed forces. This currently includes a major study, funded by the US Department of Defence, of a possible mental health screening tool using UK armed forces personnel returning from operations.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has developed online resources to improve psychological (a) testing and (b) training in the armed forces.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence uses a variety of methods for providing briefing and instruction on mental health issues, including paper-based questionnaires and face-to-face assessment and instruction, as well as online resources where these are appropriate and available. As improved online systems are developed, we will consider making increased use of them when assessed to be the most suitable means of provision.
Question
Hazel Blears (Salford and Eccles, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long on average a service leaver spends with a resettlement adviser on the conclusion of his or her service.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
Resettlement advice is provided through a number of sources including resettlement information staff, service resettlement advisors and career consultants within the auspices of the Career Transition Partnership. While the majority of contact will be generated by the service leaver, the resettlement process starts with a mandatory resettlement brief no earlier than two years before leaving. This will be followed up by a one-to-one interview, approximately six months prior to discharge.
As each service leaver is provided with tailored resettlement support to meet individual needs it is not possible to estimate the average amount of time they will spend with a resettlement adviser but this is likely to be several days over an extended period.
Question
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the development of the role of the British Army training unit in Kenya.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) delivers high quality, light role, Infantry training, together with a limited amount of protected mobility training, in an appropriately challenging environment which is relevant to current and future operations. There are no plans to change this role.
Question
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what assessment he has made of progress made by Project Julius; and whether the project is on time;
(2) when the Project Julius avionic upgrade for the Chinook helicopters will receive its release to service;
(3) when project Julius-upgraded Chinooks will be deployed to Afghanistan.
Answer
Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
Julius introduces a digital “glass” cockpit and new crewman’s workstation across our current fleet of Chinook helicopters that provide the core heavy-life element of the UK rotary wing fleet. These modifications will allow pilots to determine what flight and tactical information is displayed to them at any given time, improving the ergonomics of the cockpit. Modified aircraft completed numerous developmental test flights during 2011. These were largely successful but some technical issues were identified, which is not unusual during such activities. The Ministry of Defence and industry have an established plan to resolve these issues and deliver the aircraft to service shortly. Once introduced into service, their use and deployment will be determined by prevailing military needs and priorities.
Question
Gareth Thomas (Harrow West, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior civil servants left his Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in his Department was during this period; and if he will make a statement.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
I am able to advise that 50 senior civil servants left the Ministry of Defence during the period May 2010 to December 2011. This figure includes those that have retired, resigned, died in service or left on voluntary early release terms. The figure does not include individuals who have been permanently transferred to other Government Departments or who have transferred on temporary loan. Details are as follows:
| Number | |
| 2010 | |
| May | 1 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 2 |
| August | 1 |
| September | 2 |
| October | 2 |
| November | 4 |
| December | 1 |
| 2011 | |
| January | 2 |
| February | 0 |
| March | 5 |
| April | 1 |
| May | 0 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 9 |
| August | 7 |
| September | 4 |
| October | 4 |
| November | 1 |
| December | 4 |
For reasons of personal privacy, it would not be appropriate to provide the names of senior civil servants who are no longer in Government employment.
The turnover of senior civil servants during the period May 2010 to December 2011 is assessed as 19.42%.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) funded on helping returning veterans to successfully reassimilate into society.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to ensuring that service leavers transition to civilian life is made as smooth as possible, and is open to the evidence presented by the many different strands of research that is available. For example, we have consulted the CHAIN (Combined Homelessness and Information Network) survey, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which has collected data from the London homeless population over the last three financial years and the Howard League’s Independent Inquiry into Former Armed Service Personnel in Prison. In addition, independent research has been undertaken by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research looking at the incidence rate of post traumatic stress disorder for the UK armed forces.
Service leavers who are entitled to use the Career Transition Partnership’s (CTP) suite of resettlement services are surveyed at six months and 12 months after leaving the armed forces in order that we can understand their post-discharge circumstances. In addition, in 2011, the Ministry of Defence in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs undertook research of early service leavers (ESL), those who left the armed forces having served less than four years and therefore were not entitled to CTP resettlement provision. This subsequently led the MOD to consult with industry to establish industry trials of resettlement provision for ESL. The trials began in early 2012 and will run for 12 months.
Question
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on monitoring the health and well-being of returning veterans in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
In 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) commissioned research into the health of military personnel deployed to Iraq. In 2006, the study was extended for a further three years and broadened to include all subsequent Iraq deployments as well as deployments to Afghanistan. This research programme now follows a cohort of over 20,000 serving and former members of the armed forces. Earlier this year the study was extended for a further three years to maintain the database and further explore the data obtained in phases 1 and 2.
MOD funding to the King’s Centre for Military Health Research to conduct the Health and Wellbeing Survey since 2003 and going forward is as follows (exclusive of VAT):
| Contract period | Funding (£) |
| May 2003 to May 2006 | 2,585,000 |
| September 2006 to January 2010 | 2,310,000 |
| February 2010 to January 2013 | 1,260,000 |
Question
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to use the Conflict Pool to fund peace and stabilisation activities in eastern Africa in the next three years.
Answer
Henry Bellingham (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa and the United Nations), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; North West Norfolk, Conservative)
Conflict Pool allocations over the next three years have not yet been approved by the National Security Council. Once approved, Parliament will be informed through a written ministerial statement from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend Mr Mitchell, and the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend Mr Hammond. In light of the British Government’s tri-departmental Building Stability Overseas Strategy, the Conflict Pool is moving towards multi-year funding to provide greater certainty for conflict prevention priorities. In the financial year 2011-12, the Conflict Pool funded nearly £27 million of activities in eastern Africa. Over the next three years in eastern Africa, our planned Conflict Pool activity is likely to fall into the following broad areas.
A key focus will be reducing violent conflict and instability within Somalia and on its borders, in pursuit of HMG’s wider security (counter-terrorism and maritime security) and development objectives. Similarly, within Sudan and South Sudan, to reduce violent conflict and instability in both countries and to support the British Government’s regional security and development objectives.
We will also support Kenya, in the run-up to, during, and after the elections in 2012, and in the longer-term—so it is increasingly able to address national and regional security concerns. We will also support Ethiopia’s relative stability to be increasingly sustainable.
Statements
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
As part of the programme of work associated with defence reform within the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA) will cease to have the status of an Executive agency from1 April 2012.
The Ministry of Defence police (MDP) has been an agency under the then Government’s “Next Steps” regime since 1996. The MDP were subsequently combined with the MGS to become the MDPGA in April 2004.
The separate elements of the MDP and the MGS will continue within MOD’s organisational structure, albeit collocated and under the command of Chief Constable MDP.
The change in operating status will have no impact on the MDPGA’s customers, and will contribute some £140,000 towards MOD and National Audit Office accounts and administration savings.
Category: Business and Politics
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Think Defence hopes to start sensible conversations about UK defence issues, no agenda or no campaign but there might be one or two posts on containers, bridges and mexeflotes!Subscribe
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Why is Tobias Ellwood taking up Parliamentary time and effort with questions he could find the answers to on bloody Wikipedia?
The 3* title question was interesting.
Phil, fancy a punt on how long it will take for the hotel bill question to appear in the papers and certain other places online
@TD the hotel room thing equals 550 personnel in a £100 hotel room every night of the year. out of an organisation of 200,000 no idea if that is good or bad.
Oh it won’t take long.
When we mobilised there wasn’t enough accommodation at Merville Barracks so quite a few people were farmed out to Colchester hotels. Cost a pretty packet.
A hint for you. Research the Merville Barracks PFI…
Phil, The C2 augmentees on OUP did not exactly live in luxury, they were in a Best Western in Bagnoli, 2 to a room at SO2 or below(believe (about 90 euros a night) or in a hotel in Lago Patria in single rooms at 50 euros for bed and dinner. Interestingly enough offers to put them up in spare rooms of Single Officers living in 3 bedroom apartments were turned down as it would then have involved them getting allowances from other budgets.
@Phil Quite often with the “stupid” questions, people are just trying to get information on the record in Hansard, usually in support of some agenda or other. I’d guess Ellwood’s constituency may well cover Middle Wallop, and I’d guess there’s probably companies involved in WAH-64 support/manufacturing around Bournemouth airport, so you can imagine he would be a big fan of expanding their role into a full-time naval presence.
Sometimes the stupid questions are just stupid questions though….
The hotel rooms – there is a cap of well under £100 per night – trying to get above that cap is like trying to get your own collection of hens teeth – quite challenging!
@jim30: my experience of civil service rates is 20+ years out of date, but for a lowly student is was £40 a night back in ’89. I don’t think we are seeing champagne baths right now…
On the whole hotel thing it must be extremely frustrating when looking at accommodating personnel because you just know there is a massive political element to it, not just outside but across the services.
It must be said that the RAF do seem to have a bit of a reputation in this department but I wonder how much of that is real and how much of it bullshit.
With the Italy/Libya thing a reasonable question would be why don’t the RAF/Army have a deployable camp infrastructure, containers and tents etc that would have enabled them to work and live on base. If they do have such a thing (which of course we all know they do) why was it not used, was it being used elsewhere, would the cost of deploying and maintaining it be cheaper or more expensive than doubling up/transport to and from a local hotel
All relevant questions but the MoD never seems to be able to come up with a convincing counter argument to an obvious and politically charged story.
Do the MoD’s media team not have a clue how these things play out?