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 (i.e. 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

Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in developing its policy on Future Force 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

Progress towards Future Force 2020 is being made according to the goals set out in the 2010 strategic defence and security review and the subsequent announcement of 18 July 2011, Hansard, column 643, by the then Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Fox.

As the Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Hammond, said in his statement of 14 May 2012, Hansard, column 261, bringing the Defence budget into balance is a major milestone on the path to Future Force 2020. The House will be updated on further progress as appropriate.

Question

Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each branch of HM Armed Forces were recruited in each of the constituent parts of the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

The tables provide the figures from FY 2011-12 detailing the number of entrants from recruitment centres in each of the constituent parts of the UK. However, this does not provide a comprehensive picture of where these individuals originate from geographically, as they may not always apply to join the services through their nearest career office or may choose other means by which to apply.

Figures given do not give a representative picture of actual recruitment performance for specific trades such as infantry.

In the tables the following abbreviations are used:

AFCO—Armed Forces Careers Office

ACIO—Army Career Information Office

CIO—Career Information Office

OCLC—Officer Career Liaison Office

ACA—Army Careers Adviser

1. Naval Officer Entrants FY 2011-12
	Number
Admiralty Interview Board	82
AFCO Cardiff (RN)	1
AFCO Exeter (RN)	1
AFCO London (RN)	1
AFCO Portsmouth (RN)	1
CIO Taunton(RN and RM)	2
Naval Recruiting	11
OCLC Birmingham	27
OCLC London	71
OCLC Manchester	37
OCLC Northern Ireland	3
OCLC Peterborough	52
OCLC Plymouth	43
RN and RM Careers Southampton	4
Sub Region Greater London and South East	1
Sub Region Scotland	21
Sub Region Wales and West Central	2

2. Naval Other Rank Entrants FY 2011-12
	Number
ACIO Derby (RN)	27
AFCO Aberdeen (RN)	14
AFCO Belfast (RN)	36
AFCO Birmingham (RN)	52
AFCO Bournemouth (RN)	60
AFCO Brighton (RN)	36
AFCO Bristol (RN)	35
AFCO Cambridge (RN)	17
AFCO Cardiff (RN)	40
AFCO Carlisle (RN)	30
AFCO Chatham (RN)	28

AFCO Coventry (RN)	13
AFCO Dundee (RN)	25
AFCO Edinburgh (RN)	27
AFCO Exeter (RN)	46
AFCO Glasgow (RN)	54
AFCO Gloucester (RN)	51
AFCO Hull (RN)	50
AFCO Inverness (RN)	14
AFCO Ipswich	27
AFCO Leeds (RN)	75
AFCO Leicester (RN)	18
AFCO Lincoln (RN)	36
AFCO Liverpool (RN)	103
AFCO London (RN)	63
AFCO Luton (RN)	36
AFCO Manchester (RN)	78
AFCO Middlesbrough (RN)	46
AFCO Newcastle (RN)	61
AFCO Norwich (RN)	24
AFCO Nottingham (RN)	28
AFCO Oxford (RN)	19
AFCO Peterborough (RN)	23
AFCO Plymouth (RN)	79
AFCO Portsmouth (RN)	84
AFCO Preston (RN)	55
AFCO Reading (RN)	26
AFCO Redruth (RN)	28
AFCO Sheffield (RN)	31
AFCO Shrewsbury (RN)	33
AFCO Stoke (RN)	22
AFCO Swansea (RN)	40
AFCO Wrexham (RN)	14
CIO Canterbury	18
CIO Chelmsford	30
CIO Darlington	33
CIO Dunfermline	15
CIO Guildford	35
CIO Taunton(RN and RM)	35
CIO Wolverhampton	11
RN and RM Careers Office Ilford	11
RN and RM Careers Southampton	33
Royal Navy St Helens	26

3. Army Officer Entrants FY 2011-12
AFCO and UOTC	Number
Leeds UOTC	19
Manchester and Salford UOTC	1
Northumbrian UOTC	11
Sheffield UOTC	6
ACA 1—Wessex	15
ACA 1—West Midlands	2
ACA 1—Wales (North)	13
ACA 1—Wales (South)	9

4. Army Other Rank Entrants FY 2011-12
AFCO and ACIO	Number
AFCO Belfast	282
AFCO Birmingham	339
AFCO Bournemouth	164
AFCO Brighton	250
AFCO Bristol	108
AFCO Cambridge	262

AFCO Cardiff	306
AFCO Carlisle	148
AFCO Chatham	191
AFCO Dundee	183
AFCO Edinburgh	221
AFCO Exeter	186
AFCO Glasgow	542
AFCO Gloucester	77
AFCO Hull	313
AFCO Inverness	116
AFCO Leeds	508
AFCO Leicester	275
AFCO Lincoln	243
AFCO Liverpool	493
AFCO London	549
AFCO Manchester	602
AFCO Middlesbrough	335
AFCO Newcastle	291
AFCO Norwich	195
AFCO Nottingham	457
AFCO Peterborough	78
AFCO Plymouth	123
AFCO Portsmouth	272
AFCO Preston	450
AFCO Reading	193
AFCO Redruth	34
AFCO Sheffield	298
AFCO Shrewsbury	257
AFCO Southend-on-Sea	176
AFCO Stoke-on-Trent	447
AFCO Swansea	183
AFCO Wrexham	240
ACIO Aberdeen	39
ACIO Abergavenny	28
ACIO Aldershot	80
ACIO Ashington	55
ACIO Bangor	73
ACIO Barnsley	79
ACIO Barnstaple	31
ACIO Barrow-in-Furness	39
ACIO Bath	32
ACIO Bathgate	35
ACIO Birkenhead	69
ACIO Bishop Auckland	26
ACIO Blackburn	70
ACIO Blackpool	134
ACIO Bolton	117
ACIO Boston	39
ACIO Bradford	123
ACIO Bridgend	29
ACIO Bromley	80
ACIO Burnley	85
ACIO Burton-on-Trent	108
ACIO Canterbury	32
ACIO Carmarthen	33
ACIO Catterick	42
ACIO Chelmsford	46
ACIO Chester	70
ACIO Chesterfield	77
ACIO Chichester	45
ACIO Coleraine	43
ACIO Coventry	131

ACIO Croydon	94
ACIO Darlington	87
ACIO Derby	100
ACIO Doncaster	102
ACIO Dover	54
ACIO Dumbarton	34
ACIO Dumfries	42
ACIO Dunfermline	46
ACIO Durham	61
ACIO Enniskillen	75
ACIO Galashiels	29
ACIO Grimsby	83
ACIO Halifax	58
ACIO Hamilton	112
ACIO Haverfordwest	34
ACIO Hereford	75
ACIO Huddersfield	75
ACIO Ilford	92
ACIO Ipswich	73
ACIO Irvine	102
ACIO Kirkcaldy	41
ACIO Lancaster	63
ACIO Luton	97
ACIO Mansfield	113
ACIO Milton Keynes	70
ACIO Newport	90
ACIO Newport (IOW)	3
ACIO Northampton	152
ACIO Oldham	79
ACIO Oxford	44
ACIO Paisley	81
ACIO Perth	25
ACIO Pontypridd	73
ACIO Portadown	59
ACIO Rhyl	72
ACIO Salisbury	71
ACIO Scarborough	65
ACIO Southampton	65
ACIO South Shields	51
ACIO Stirling	84
ACIO Stockport	85
ACIO Sunderland	68
ACIO Swindon	29
ACIO Taunton	49
ACIO Torquay	36
ACIO Tunbridge Wells	16
ACIO Victoria	79
ACIO Wakefield	97
ACIO Warrington	93
ACIO Wembley	60
ACIO Wigan	88
ACIO Wolverhampton	164
ACIO Worcester	92
ACIO Workington	35
ACIO York	97

5. RAF Entrants FY 2011-12
Recruiting Location	Number
AFCO Hull (RAF)	37
AFCO Leeds (RAF)	55
AFCO Liverpool (RAF)	78
AFCO Manchester (RAF)	42
AFCO Middlesbrough (RAF)	42
AFCO Newcastle (RAF)	37

AFCO Preston (RAF)	67
AFCO Sheffield (RAF)	41
Area N England (AFCO Leeds)	0
SCLO RAF Linton on Ouse	1
AFCO Aberdeen (RAF)	7
AFCO Belfast (RAF)	10
AFCO Carlisle (RAF)	14
AFCO Dundee (RAF)	22
AFCO Edinburgh (RAF)	25
AFCO Glasgow (RAF)	33
AFCO Inverness (RAF)	10
Area Scot and NI (Kentigern House)	0
AFCO Cambridge (RAF)	45
AFCO Leicester (RAF)	25
AFCO Lincoln (RAF)	72
AFCO Luton (RAF)	0
AFCO Norwich (RAF)	50
AFCO Nottingham (RAF)	53
AFCO Peterborough (RAF)	28
Area E Mids and EA (AFCO Nottingham)	4
SCLO RAF Wittering	0
AFCO Brighton (RAF)	20
AFCO Chatham (RAF)	23
AFCO London (RAF)	40
AFCO Oxford (RAF)	33
AFCO Reading (RAF)	0
AFCO Southend (RAF)	10
Area SE (AFCO London)	0
SCLO RAF Halton	3
AFCO Birmingham (RAF)	50
AFCO Cardiff (RAF)	54
AFCO Coventry (RAF)	19
AFCO Gloucester (RAF)	35
AFCO Shrewsbury (RAF)	38
AFCO Stoke (RAF)	22
AFCO Swansea (RAF)	27
AFCO Wrexham (RAF)	24
Area Wales and W Mids (AFCO Gloucester)	0
AFCO Bournemouth (RAF)	27
AFCO Bristol (RAF)	35
AFCO Exeter (RAF)	32
AFCO Plymouth (RAF)	20
AFCO Portsmouth (RAF)	46
AFCO Redruth (RAF)	18
Area SW (AFCO Plymouth)	2
DRIT (RAF)	0
OASC Cranwell	66

Question

James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to any potential consequences for the defence of the sovereign base areas in Cyprus of a disorderly departure by Greece from the eurozone; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

holding answer 24 May 2012

The Government is undertaking contingency planning to deal with all possible outcomes in the eurozone.

Question

Karen Lumley (Redditch, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops are stationed in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Answer

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

The UK currently has seven officers stationed in Bosnia Herzegovina: five are assigned to Operation Althea, the European Union Peacekeeping Mission that is helping to maintain a safe and secure environment; one is the Director of Studies at the Peace Support Operation Training Centre in Sarajevo; and one is the Defence Attaché at the UK embassy in Sarajevo.

Question

Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many motorised vehicles of each type are in service in each branch of the armed forces; and where each motorised vehicle is based.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

holding answer 25 June 2012

The Ministry of Defence owns a wide variety of vehicles which are based at a number of locations across the UK, overseas and on operations. The following table provides the number of in-service armoured, logistics and engineering vehicles, grouped by role and category, held by the Department:

Role	Total number in service
Armoured
AS90	89
Challenger 2	227
CRARRV	75
CVR(T)	654
FV430 (Mk 2 and Bulldog)	895
Titan	33
Trojan	33
Warrior	781
Mastiff	359
Panther	401
Ridgback	168
Snatch (all variants)	485
Vector	160
Viking	158
Wolfhound	125
Husky	327

Engineering
Armoured Engineering	66 + 101 Protected Plant
Bridging	177
Bulldozer	35
Dumper Truck	181
Excavator	64
Forklift	457
Route Engineer Plant	274
Beach T/WAY Dispenser	26

Logistics
Bulk Fuel	705
Cargo	9,288
Container Handler	64
Crane	98
Equipment Transporter	157
Forklift	1531
Medical	905
Recovery	352
Bulk Water Trailers	57
Airfield Support	631
Fire Vehicles	215

Information regarding the branch of the armed forces, and the locations where the vehicles are based, as well as information about other categories of motor vehicles, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question

Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what offers his Department has received for the Ark Royal; what information his Department holds on the proposed purposes to which such purchasers intend to put the vessel; whether the bidding process has ended; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

Seventeen proposals have been received to buy HMS Ark Royal. I am withholding the information about the details of individual proposals as disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. No decisions have been made about the future of the ship.

Question

Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much additional funding his Department has allocated for adaptations to homes for wounded service personnel and veterans in each of the years between 2012-13 and 2016-17.

Answer

Grant Shapps (Minister of State (Housing and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; Welwyn Hatfield, Conservative)

holding answer 28 June 2012

My Department has signed up to the Ministry of Defence Covenant that aims to assist the nation’s service personnel when they return from active service. In each financial year of the current spending round, £1.7million—approximately 10% of the main national disabled facilities grant annual allocation that supports housing adaptations —is set aside for wounded ex-service personnel.

Question

Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Answer

Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)

The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend Mr Hammond, has not had any recent discussions on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory, but he and other Defence Ministers have regular discussions with their US counterparts about a range of subjects which are of interest to both our mutual defence and security interests.

Question

Andrew Rosindell (Romford, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials from his Department are stationed in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Answer

Gerald Howarth (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (International Security Strategy), Defence; Aldershot, Conservative)

There are around 40 members of the armed forces based in British Indian Ocean Territory; there are no civilian officials.

Question

Owen Smith (Pontypridd, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales

(1) what recent assessment she has made of progress towards the objective in her Department’s business plan to represent Welsh interests in the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review;

(2) what assessment she has made of the potential effect on Wales of the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review;

(3) how many meetings she has had with ministerial colleagues on the potential effects of the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on Wales.

Answer

Cheryl Gillan (Secretary of State, Wales; Chesham and Amersham, Conservative)

I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues about defence matters in Wales. The Strategic Defence and Security Review is part of a continuing process to deliver a sustainable defence programme for the future.

The Wales Office works on an ongoing basis to ensure Welsh interests are fully taken into account by the Ministry of Defence, for example in areas such as the decision that was taken confirming that 160 Brigade would remain in Brecon following last year’s Defence estate and basing plans review.

Question

Mark Menzies (Fylde, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on awarding a Service Medal to former members of Bomber Command; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

Defence Ministers and their officials have received a number of representations in respect of awarding a Service Medal to Bomber Command veterans.

There is widespread admiration for the major contribution that the crews of Bomber Command made to the Allied victory in World War II and their commitment in the face of significant losses.

The coalition Government have agreed that there should be a fresh review of the rules governing the award of military medals. This is currently being undertaken by an independent lead, Sir John Holmes, in full consultation with interested parties. The independent review will make use of all the work undertaken as part of an earlier Ministry of Defence review, but will have a broader scope. It is anticipated that it will be completed by the end of the summer.

Question

Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Co-operative Engagement Capability system will contribute to a recognised air picture;

(2) whether the Co-operative Engagement Capability system (a) increases interoperability with the US Navy and (b) reduces the possibility of friendly fire incidents;

(3) what role the Co-operative Engagement Capability system will have in protecting Queen Elizabeth Class carriers.

(4) what estimate he has made of the amount spent on the Co-operative Engagement Capability system for Royal Navy vessels to date.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

Co-operative engagement capability (CEC) has not been cut; it was never in the committed core equipment programme. The CEC programme entered the assessment phase in 2000. The previous Government then deferred the programme by five years in 2005 and by a further four years in 2010. The Ministry of Defence (MOD)’s expenditure to date on the assessment phase over this whole period is £45.5 million inclusive of non-recoverable VAT.

The MOD carried out a comprehensive study into investing in this capability, however during the three month exercise we concluded that it was not necessary to commit funding to CEC at this stage.

The MOD now manages the Equipment programme on the basis of committing only when funding for the full procurement and sustainment cost of a new project is available and when a commitment needs to be made in order to meet the required in-service date.

The decision not to commit to this project at the moment does not rule out a future commitment to the capability.

Decisions on future commitments will be taken on the advice of the Armed Forces Committee, which makes the budget available and decides what the priorities should be.

The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend Mr Hammond, made clear last month, the MOD budget has headroom of £8 billion over the next 10 years for potential programmes.

The Armed Forces Committee will prioritise projects for commitment when necessary, and not before.

Without CEC, the T45 Destroyer remains a world leading, state-of-the-art anti-air warfare platform with a range of capabilities for defeating complex threats.

Question

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will allocate resources to considering the effect on UK military capabilities of Scotland voting in favour of separation in the 2014 referendum.

Answer

Philip Hammond (Secretary of State, Transport; Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)

holding answer 2 July 2012

The UK Government position is clear: Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The UK Government is not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support Scotland remaining within the UK in any referendum.

In the run-up to the referendum the UK Government will produce detailed evidence and analysis to assess the benefits that Scotland gains from being part of the UK and the contribution that Scotland makes to the UK. As one of the major reserved areas, Defence will feature significantly in this work.

Question

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will discuss the future of HMNB Clyde with the Scottish Government before the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence.

Answer

Philip Hammond (Secretary of State, Transport; Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)

holding answer 2 July 2012

Question

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) what estimate his Department has made of the cost of replicating the facilities at Faslane and Coulport at another site in the UK;

(2) what contingency arrangements his Department has put in place for the operation of Vanguard class submarines should HMNB Clyde become inoperable.

Answer

Philip Hammond (Secretary of State, Transport; Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)

holding answer 2 July 2012

No work has been undertaken to estimate the cost of replicating the facilities at Faslane and Coulport at another site in the UK. It is clear from first principles, however, that the cost of relocating such facilities from Scotland would be extremely high.

I am withholding information relating to contingency planning arrangements should Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde become inoperable for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Question

George Galloway (Bradford West, Respect)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations his Department has made for war with Iran; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost in (a) personnel and (b) materiel.

Answer

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

We are not advocating military action against Iran. We continue to believe that the dual-track process of pressure and engagement led by the E3+3, comprising the UK, US, France, Germany, China and Russia, offers the best hope of resolving international concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

However, we do not believe it is sensible to rule out any option; we have therefore made it clear that all options remain on the table. Parliamentarians backed the Government’s approach in a vote in the House of Commons on 20 February 2012, with a majority of 285.

Question

Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what budget was allocated to ceremonial uniforms for the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF in the last year.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

holding answer 2 July 2012

Budgets for ceremonial uniforms are not held in the format requested, as they form part of the three services’ overall clothing budgets, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question

Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM Armed Forces who have been issued with compulsory redundant notes for discharge are within one year of reaching the full qualifying date for an immediate Ministry of Defence Pension.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

Because of the complexity of pensions calculations, the exact number of service personnel within one year of reaching the full qualifying date for an immediate pension could be determined only by a manual analysis of the records of those selected for redundancy, which could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However early analysis indicates approximately 80 (roughly 1.2%) of the 6,660 armed forces personnel selected for redundancy in tranches 1 and 2 are non-applicants who will now, following a reduction in the qualifying period, be within one year of qualifying for an immediate pension or equivalent on their redundancy exit date. Selection for redundancy was based on clearly defined criteria; proximity to pension point was not one of these.

The Armed Forces Redundancy schemes pay significantly larger tax free redundancy compensation lump sums to those who narrowly miss out on immediate incomes. Any pension rights that have been earned will also be preserved, meaning that an index linked pension and a further tax-free lump sum will become payable at age 60 or 65, depending on pension scheme.

Whereas the majority of other ranks normally have to serve for 22 years before receiving an immediate income, the Armed Forces Redundancy schemes reduce this requirement to 18 years. This is a concession of four years, which will enable many redundees to receive an immediate income for which they would otherwise not have qualified.

Question

Simon Reevell (Dewsbury, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2012, Official Report, column 192W, on armed forces: pay, whether monies due to bereaved families are adjusted to claim back salaries automatically paid to service personnel in respect of the period after their death and before the month end.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

We never ask families of those killed in service to pay money back. Our aim is to ensure families receive the right amount of money as quickly as possible and to conduct a reconciliation of their pay accounts as soon as all the information becomes available to us. We do not collect any money from the families of deceased service personnel, but we do adjust future payments to ensure families are paid all monies to which they are entitled.

Question

Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to allocate the £100 million announced in Budget 2011 for service accommodation.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

As announced in March 2012, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will receive an additional £100 million from April 2013. The MOD will target the extra investment to generate maximum impact for defence and for the benefit of service personnel and their families.

We will bring around 550 service family accommodation (SFA) properties up to the highest standard for condition and refurbish around 600 single living accommodation rooms. The extra investment will also mean that in areas of high demand 100 vacant SFA properties will be made ready for occupation and new homes purchased.

Question

Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

Ministry of Defence spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year on’, which is available at:

www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

The approximate number and value of new contracts placed with SMEs, for the latest period available are given in the following table:

	Number	Value (£ million)	Latest period for which figures are available
MOD	1,790	1,124	April 2011 to March 2012
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory	4,173	62.77	April 2011 to March 2012
Defence Support Group	537	16.42	June 2011 to May 2012
UK Hydrographic Office	1,331	8.35	April 2011 to March 2012

Question

Julian Lewis (New Forest East, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2012, on the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, what (a) letters, (b) emails and (c) other correspondence the Minister of State for the Armed Forces received directly on the subject from (i) former members of the armed forces and (ii) other members of the public since May 2010.

Answer

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

holding answer 27 June 2012

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 June 2012, Hansard, columns 1043-44W.

The Ministry of Defence holds no records of letters, e-mails or other correspondence received directly by Ministers from former members of the armed forces or other members of the public, on the subject of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, since May 2010.

I am, however, in regular contact with Sir Neil Thorne, chairman of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, in relation to the management of the scheme itself.

Question

Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the risk that vacuum cleaners used on nuclear submarines may start a fire.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

All equipment fitted or carried onboard Royal Navy submarines, including vacuum cleaners, is assessed before it enters service to determine the fire risk it presents. When risks are identified, all practicable measures are taken to reduce their severity before a further assessment is made to ensure any remaining risk is tolerable; this assessment is kept under periodic review. Once in-service, equipment undergoes periodic maintenance, in accordance with defined procedures, to ensure that it continues to function safely and correctly.

During major overhaul periods, fire safety becomes the responsibility of the relevant contractor, who is required to provide appropriate fire safety arrangements. This includes conducting assessments of the risks presented by the activities to be undertaken and the equipment to be used.

Question

Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has commissioned a review of fire safety on submarines following the recent fire aboard the submarine USS Miami.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

The Ministry of Defence has a strict regime to manage fire safety on submarines. This includes the routine assessment of all fire incidents on board Royal Navy ships and submarines, as well as those fire incidents reported by foreign navies. The recent fire on board the USS Miami will be assessed in accordance with these processes, with lessons being identified and taken forward as appropriate.

Question

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral contribution of 18 June 2012, Official Report, column 614, on nuclear powered submarines, when a planning application will be submitted for refurbishment of the Rolls-Royce Raynesway site; when construction is expected to commence; and when the new facilities are expected to open.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

Planning permission for the regeneration of the Raynesway site was granted by Derby city council in February 2010 (planning permission number 11/09/01360).

The first construction contract is planned to be let by Rolls-Royce towards the end of this year, with work starting in early 2013.

The first part of the facility is planned to start operating in summer 2016, with the remainder planned to start operating in 2021.

Question

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral contribution of 18 June 2012, Official Report, column 614, on nuclear powered submarines, how many submarine reactor cores will be built by Rolls-Royce by 2023; and how many such cases will be of the (a) PWR2 and (b) PWR3 design.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

In the period up to 2023, the recently announced contract with Rolls-Royce is planned to deliver one pressurised water reactor (PWR) 2 reactor core and one PWR3 reactor core. The PWR3 core will not be manufactured until after the Successor Main Gate decision in 2016.

Question

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to issue individual contracts for the construction of reactor cores for future submarines.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

The procurement strategy for reactor cores for later boats, after Successor Boat One, has not yet been decided and will not be decided until after the Successor Main Gate decision in 2016.

Question

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department owns the nuclear reactor core facility at the Rolls-Royce Power Engineering site in Raynesway, Derby; and what the asset value of that facility is.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

The existing facilities and machinery are owned by Rolls-Royce except for equipment that has been provided as Government Funded Equipment. The Ministry of Defence does not therefore hold the asset value of the facilities

Question

Rachel Reeves (Leeds West, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) how many procurement card holders in his Department were (a) paid off-payroll, (b) employed on a part-time basis and (c) employed as a non-permanent employee in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12;

(2) on which dates his Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

The information on the detailed breakdown of the nature of employment of Government Procurement Card (GPC) holders is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. GPC cards are only issued to Crown Servants or contractors who are required to make purchases on behalf of the Department where this offers an efficient way of purchasing.

The dates on which the Ministry of Defence has published GPC spending over £500 since May 2010 are as follows:

Spend during March 2012 was published on 7 June 2012.

Spend during February 2012 was published on 30 April 2012.

Spend during January 2012 was published on 3 April 2012.

Spend during December 2011 was published on 29 February 2012.

Spend during November 2011 was published on 31 January 2012.

Spend during October 2011 was published on 23 December 2011.

Spend during the period April 2011 to September 2011 was published on 31 October 2011.

Spend during the period April 2010 to March 2011 was published on 3 May 2012.

Question

Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aspects of the P1EA upgrade for the Eurofighter have been integrated into the aircraft; how many aircraft have received such upgrades; if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of each upgrade; and when all such upgrades will achieve release-to-service status.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

Although the technical work on integration is well advanced, no aspects of the Phase one enhancement (P1E)a upgrades have yet been integrated into RAF Typhoons. The date by which the upgrades will be introduced into service with the RAF is under review. The cost of this upgrade is interwoven within the Future Capability Programme 1 which includes costs for the follow-on P1Eb upgrade. The cost of this combined upgrade to the UK as published in Major Projects Report 2011, including risk and cost of capital, is £458 million.

Question

Caroline Flint (Don Valley, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) whether his Department switched its (a) gas or (b) electricity supplier in any of the last 10 years;

(2) which energy supplier supplies his Department with (a) gas and (b) electricity.

Answer

Peter Luff (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology), Defence; Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)

In mainland UK, the Ministry of Defence competes its requirements for gas and electricity supply in mainland UK every three to four years.

Current mainland UK suppliers are:

Corona Energy (gas supply—all sites)

EDF Energy (electricity supply—medium and large sites)

British Gas Business (electricity supply—small sites).

Current Northern Ireland suppliers are:

Firmus Energy and Phoenix Natural Gas (gas supply)

Viridian Energy (electricity supply).

Overseas locations are subject to local supply arrangements.

Question

Stephen Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012 on defence procurement, what the urgent operational requirements are which are referred to in the answer.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

holding answer 3 July 2012

Urgent operational requirements (UORs) address urgent and unforeseen capability gaps in support of a current or imminent military operation. Often this means responding to new or evolving threats posed by our adversaries and as such, much of the detail on specific equipment remains operationally sensitive. It would not be appropriate to release information on individual UORs that could compromise the safety of our troops.

While specific details of the 327 UORs referred to in the answer given on 21 May 2012 cannot be disclosed, I can confirm that the majority of UORs have been in the areas of force protection, counter improvised explosive device (C-IED), rotary wing, tactical air transport, situational awareness, and protected mobility.

Question

Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of items lost or stolen from his Department in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

The estimated value of losses due to suspected theft was £2,452,485 in 2009-10; £967,103 in 2010-11 and £2,206,518 in 2011-12.

Estimates of loss are provided when suspicions are initially reported. These figures will fluctuate on an annual basis depending on the particular allegations under investigation in any one year.

Question

Gareth Thomas (Harrow West, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what target he has set to reduce headcount across his Department, its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; 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 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced planned reductions in the civilian workforce of 25,000 to be achieved by 2015. This was subsequently increased to about 28,500, as a result of further Defence Transformation decisions announced to the House by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend Mr Hammond, on 18 July 2011, and will constitute a reduction of one third of pre-SDSR numbers. Figures shown reflect the full time equivalent civilian workforce figures for 1 April 2010, 2011 and 2012, as published in the Quarterly Civilian Personnel Report for 1 April 2012, which can be found at:

www.dasa.mod.uk

	Number	Cumulative difference
1 April 2010	85,850	—
1 April 2011	83,060	-2,790

1 April 2012

70,940

-14,910

Question

John Pugh (Southport, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and well-being in his Department.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the health and well being of both its military and civilian staff very seriously. For military staff, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 June 2012, Hansard, column 193-194W, to Mrs Glindon. Specifically for civilians, the MOD strives to help them to maintain or improve their health and wellbeing by the promotion of a number of activities, including sport and exercise, healthy eating and the provision of an occupational health and welfare service. A health and welfare champion has recently been appointed at senior level to encourage progress on this agenda.

Question

Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the properties and their uses owned or leased by his Department outside the UK and Germany.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

A list of all of the Ministry of Defence properties outside the UK and Germany together with their uses, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Question

Lord Brougham and Vaux (Conservative)

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to announce the result of the review of military decorations; and, in particular, when they expect to make an announcement about the creation of a campaign medal for veterans of the Arctic supply convoys in World War II.

Answer

Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)

The review of the rules governing the award of military medals being conducted by Sir John Holmes is due to report this summer. The results should reflect the input from all interested parties, including veterans’ organisations, making recommendations where appropriate. The Government will then consider the report and its recommendations and make an announcement in due course.

The Ministry of Defence remains very aware of the campaign for further recognition for those who served as part of the Arctic convoys. However, at this stage it would be wrong for me to prejudge the final outcome of the review, and I await its final conclusions.

Question

Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) what estimate he has made of expenditure on service accommodation after 2015;

(2) how much of the budget for service accommodation will be spent on (a) upgrading service accommodation and (b) new service accommodation in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14, (iii) 2014-15, (iv) 2015-16 and (v) 2016-17;

(3) what estimate he has made of the likely level of spend on service accommodation from the defence budget in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16 and (e) 2016-17.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

The majority of expenditure on service accommodation is by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The DIO’s budget for new or upgraded service accommodation is treated as a single source of funding.

The planned expenditure currently contained within the DIO’s Control Totals on accommodation and the provision of new and upgraded accommodation in financial years 2012-13 to 2016-17 is expressed in the following table. This reflects the pause in provision of new and upgraded service accommodation between 2013-14 and 2015-16 which is partially offset by the additional £100 million for 2013-14 of investment announced in this year’s budget.

£ million
		Of which:
Financial year	Estimated DIO expenditure on accommodation	Planned expenditure on new and upgraded accommodation
2012-13	487	118
2013-14	490	117
2014-15	399	17
2015-16	410	18
2016-17	538	136

The current estimate of expenditure on service accommodation after 2015 is some £538 million per financial year, rising to some £562 million in 2019-20.

Question

Philip Davies (Shipley, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army personnel were made redundant within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) one year of qualifying for their full pension rights in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

No Army personnel have been selected, within the specified periods, of qualifying for their full pension rights. This is because full pension rights are only granted at the completion of a full military career and all Army personnel within the last three years of their engagement were ineligible for consideration under the redundancy scheme.

There will, however, be some Army personnel who have been selected, within the specified periods, of qualifying for their immediate pension point, this being the point at which a pension is paid immediately on leaving the Army. Because of the complexity of pension calculations, the exact number of Army personnel affected by this could only be determined by a manual analysis of the records of those selected for redundancy, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, early analysis indicates approximately 55 (roughly 1.4%) of the 3,820 Army personnel selected for redundancy in Tranches 1 and 2 are non-applicants who will be within one year of qualifying for an immediate pension or equivalent on their redundancy exit following a reduction in the qualifying period for the majority of other ranks from 22 years to 18 years enabling many redundees to receive an immediate income for which they would otherwise not have qualified.

Question

Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to review the structure of training for armed forces personnel.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

holding answer 3 July 2012

Training of armed forces personnel remains under constant review. The implementation of Lord Levene’s report on defence reform has led to some restructuring in the areas of joint and collective training under the joint forces command. In addition, the Defence Technical Training Change programme will transform Defence Technical Training, rationalising the training estate in line with Defence objectives, reducing the military manpower involved in the delivery of training, and maintaining training to the standards required by the front line commands. The three services continue to deliver individual and special-to-role training.

Question

Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) whether his Department has any plans to review the defence training estate; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what plans his Department has for the rationalisation of the defence training estate; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

holding answer 3 July 2012

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is developing its “Footprint Strategy” to determine an affordable and sustainable infrastructure of the right type, size and quality in the right place to support Future Force 2020 operational capability. The Defence Training Estate will form part of the “Footprint Strategy” review.

The return of the Army from Germany, restructuring under Army 2020 and other strategic defence and security review initiatives will result in changes to the basing of units and the estate required for them to train. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation is working with each command headquarters to draw up plans to meet the future training requirement.

The MOD will continue to look to make the most efficient use of the Defence Training Estate and will continue to identify and dispose of sites that are no longer needed, ensuring that we are making optimum use of the sites that remain.

Statement

Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)

In accordance with the Cabinet Office’s guidance on public bodies, a review of the National Employer Advisory Board (NEAB) has been commissioned and work will commence in July 2012.

NEAB is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which provides informed but independent advice to Ministers and the MOD about how it can most effectively gain and maintain the support of the employers of Britain’s reserve forces. The review will consider the effectiveness of how the functions of the NEAB are currently delivered, whether there is a need for the function and for the advisory NDPB to continue, and if so, how the function might best be delivered in future.

The review is due to be completed later this year and I shall inform the House of its outcome.

Statement

William Hague (Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Richmond (Yorks), Conservative)

I wish to inform the House that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, is today publishing the 18th progress report on developments in Afghanistan since November 2010.

At the NATO summit in Chicago on 20 and 21 May, the international community demonstrated its enduring support to Afghanistan beyond the end of security transition. International security assistance force (ISAF) partners delivered on the commitments made at the Bonn conference with credible financial contributions to sustain the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) beyond the withdrawal of ISAF troops. They also agreed NATO’s long-term role in Afghanistan up to and beyond 2014. The summit sent a clear message to the Afghan people that we will not abandon them. It also sent a clear message to the insurgency that they cannot wait us out. The summit communiqué reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on women, peace and security. It also endorsed a strategic progress report to make UNSCR 1325 an integral part of NATO-led operations and missions.

At Chicago, partners also noted the progress in security transition and welcomed the recent announcement of tranche three in May. They looked ahead to the mid-2013 milestone, the point at which the fifth and final tranche is expected to begin and the ANSF will take on lead security responsibility across the country. When transition completes at the end of 2014, the ANSF will have full security responsibility and ISAF will move away from a combat role.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development will attend the Tokyo conference on 8 July. It is vital for the Tokyo conference to deliver much-needed aid commitments. This will complement the security commitments made at Chicago, to ensure Afghanistan continues to develop long after international troops have departed.

We encourage all international partners to commit at Tokyo to stand by Afghanistan for the long-term and provide concrete aid pledges for at least the period up to 2017. The Afghan Government will have to demonstrate clearly that they are serious about fighting corruption and making key policy reforms, to persuade the international community to continue to provide assistance.

On 13 May, the Afghan Government announced the third tranche of areas to enter transition. Once tranche three begins, 75% of the Afghan population will be living in areas where ANSF have lead security responsibility. Tranche three, which includes a number of challenging areas, will include Nahr-e Saraj, the third and final area within the UK’s area of operation to begin transition. Lashkar Gah and Nad-e-Ali entered transition in tranches one and two respectively. Transition in these tranches has progressed well, with ANSF capability continuing to improve. The process remains on track for transition to complete in all areas of the country by the end of 2014.

I am placing the report in the Library of the House. It will also be published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk).

Statement

Philip Hammond (Secretary of State, Transport; Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)

The report of the independent commission to review the United Kingdom’s reserve forces led by General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, was published on 18 July 2011. I am most grateful to the members of the commission, including my hon. Friend Mr Brazier, for their efforts in producing this invaluable report. The Government accept the broad thrust of the Commission’s recommendations, which encompassed the Army reserves —the largest reserve component—the Royal Naval and Royal Marines Reserves and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

To achieve the redesign of the Army required by Army 2020 will require us to expand the volunteer Army reserve to 30,000 trained strength and better to integrate the regular and reserve components of the future Army. Army 2020 has defined the Army reserves’ role and we are establishing more predictable scales of commitment in the event that reserves are committed to enduring operations. In the past, the reserve was essentially designed to supplement the regular Army; in future, the reserve will be a vital part of an integrated Army. The principle of greater integration was established in the commission’s report and, based on their findings, our concept for Army reserves sees them ready and able to deploy routinely at sub-unit level and in some cases as formed units. They will be trained, equipped and supported accordingly. Officers and soldiers will have command opportunities which have not always been available in the recent past.

The process of reshaping the reserves for their future role has already begun: we are recruiting reserves now for all three services. The Army has started overseas reserve training exercises at company level (26 this year, and increasing in number significantly by 2015); we are putting in place routine partnered training of Army reserve and regular units, including for operational deployments. More equipment is arriving in the form of modern support vehicles, the Wolf Land Rover and Bowman radios. We plan that, over time, the personal equipment of reservists will be on a par with that used by regulars. The greater reliance on the reserve envisaged in Future Force 2020, and the additional £1.8 billion over 10 years that we have committed to the reserves, ensures that reservists will receive the kit and the training they need. But in exchange we expect them to commit to specific amounts of training time and, for the Army in most cases, to accept a liability for up to six-months deployed service, plus pre-deployment training, in a five-year period, dependent on operational demand. There will be opportunities for shorter periods of deployed service commitment for those in some specialist roles.

The Navy’s maritime reserves will expand to a trained strength of 3,100 to deliver a greater range and depth of capability, within its well established and integrated model, to provide individual augmentees to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in specialist and generalist roles. Key areas of growth will be in a range of command and communication, intelligence and surveillance disciplines, including cyber, support to the Fleet Air Arm and the exploitation of niche capabilities in the role of maritime security. The aim is to build maritime reserves that are fully integrated and able to provide the naval service with a range of flexible manpower, including greater access to civilian skills. The expansion will be supported by an infrastructure programme to provide modem and efficient training facilities.

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) provides resilience and strength in depth to the Royal Air Force contribution to Defence capability by providing individual augmentees to regular forces. It will grow to a trained strength of 1,800. The principal growth will be in the specialist areas of logistics, flight operations, medical, intelligence, media, RAF police and cyber; individual augmentees will be trained to a sufficient standard to be folly integrated with the regulars as part of the whole force concept. Five new reserve squadrons will be established: No 502 (Ulster) Squadron will form at JHC Station Aldergrove; 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron will form in Liverpool and 614 (West Glamorgan) Squadron will form in south Wales, most likely at RAF St Athan. These squadrons will be general service support squadrons representing various trades and branches from within the RAF. At RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 2624 (County of Oxford) Squadron will re-form in the force protection role and 622 Squadron will stand up as the reserve unit for aircrew augmenting the RAF’s air mobility force.

Delivering this step change in the size and role of the reserves will require a change in the relationship between Defence, the employer and the reservist. Many employers already give excellent support to reservists, for which we, and the nation, are grateful. But we need a new framework of partnership, with public and private sector employers, that gives us the confidence that trained reservist manpower will be available when it is really needed. We are examining how this might work through,

for instance, the “Partnering for Talent” programme, which seeks to identify clear business benefits for employers who support the reserves. The public sector is already a major employer of reservists, and should set an example. Cross-Government work, led by the head of the civil service, is promoting the benefits of employing reservists within Government.

This scale of change needs the support of society as a whole and of employers in particular. I intend therefore to publish a consultation paper in the autumn, setting out our detailed proposals. Following consultation, we will be able to make informed decisions early next year on terms and conditions of service, employer engagement, the Government’s own commitments as an employer, and on any legislation necessary to underpin and support our vision for the reserves. I have also set up an independent external scrutiny team to assess progress in implementation of our vision for the reserves. This will be led by Lieutenant General (Retired) Robin Brims, who will make his first report in the summer of 2013.