A round up Parliamentary questions and answers;
Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy for dealing with applications by Commonwealth citizens who have served in units of the British armed forces to remain permanently in the United Kingdom when they leave the armed services.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c175W)
Lord Henley (Conservative)
Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who have served in HM Forces can apply for settlement under paragraph 2760 of the Immigration Rules. The relevant criteria of these Rules include that the applicant must have completed four years of service with HM Forces, made his/her settlement application within two years of discharge from the British military and have no unspent conviction on the date of application. Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who are members of HM Forces are able to apply for settlement in the UK up to 10 weeks before their discharge. Special processes are in place for those service personnel who are being made redundant from HM Forces to enable their settlement applications to be dealt with on an accelerated basis.
Further details on the relevant qualifying criteria and processes applicable to foreign and Commonwealth members of HM Forces who wish to apply for settlement upon discharge can be found in Chapter 15, Section 2A of the Immigration Directorate Instructions. This can be accessed via the UK Border Agency website using the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapterl5/.
Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who have completed a period of at least five years’ continuous service also have the option of applying to naturalise as a British citizen. In order to succeed they will need to meet the requirements of Section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981. These include completion of the relevant residence period and satisfaction of the good character requirement.
Information on naturalisation can be found in Chapter 18 of the British Nationality Act 1981-Caseworking Instructions (Volume 1). This can be accessed via the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov. uk/policyandlaw/guidance/nationalityinstructions/nivol1/.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount spent in each of the last five years on publicising and explaining in the United Kingdom the roles and functions of NATO.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c209W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
The Foreignand Commonwealth Office does not maintain a specific budget for diplomacy campaigns related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). We do seek, however, to publicise the UK’s role in NATO through regular media channels. The most recent example would be the foreign attendance by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) at the NATO Chicago Summit in May.
For the past five years, the UK’s delegation to NATO (UKDel NATO) has also had two staffing resources working on communications. UKDel NATO currently has one press officer and one digital/media support officer who work on ensuring UK messaging is fully integrated into NATO’s public diplomacy work, liaise with Brussels-based UK and international media, and work on digital outreach.
The UK also contributes to the NATO Civil Budget which, in part, supports the NATO Public Diplomacy budget. Calendar year figures for the NATO Public Diplomacy budget for the last five years are below:
Year NATO Public Diplomacy Division Budget (excluding Staff costs)(£million based on current exchange rate)
2008 6.6
2009 6.9
2010 7.2
2011 6.5
2012 6.1
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the UK financial contribution has been in each of the last five years to the Civil Budget of NATO.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c210W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Civil Budget covers the running costs of the NATOpolitical headquarters in Brussels, including the salaries of international civil servants (from the Secretary-General downwards) and utilities, buildings maintenance and official travel. The current UK contribution is approximately 11% of the total.
Year Contribution (£million based on current exchange rate)
2008/09 21.6
2009/10 21.0
2010/11 19.7
2011/12 20.1
2012/13* 20.5
* Projected
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total number of people in the UK delegation to NATO; and how this has changed over the past five years.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c210W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
The UK Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is made up of a mixture of Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence (military and civilian) employees. The current level of staff (including contracted services staff) is 56.
There has been a steady reduction in staff levels from approximately 70 in 2009 to current levels.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any information about the number of UK citizens serving in the international staff of NATO.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c210W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
The international staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters (NATO HQ) number around 1,200 and of these around 144 are UK citizens. Only Belgium, as NATO HQ’s host nation, has a greater number of international staff.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated date of completion of the new NATO headquarters building; and what has been the UK contribution to its cost.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c210W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
The estimated date for the building to be handed over to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is December 2015, where further work will be undertaken to prepare it for national delegations until 2017.
So far, the UK has contributed £22,627,206, but our total contribution over the lifespan of the project until 2017 will be £95,719,531.
The UK has been closely monitoring the project and the costs to ensure that best value is obtained.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost to the United Kingdom of its combined gross contributions to the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and overseas aid.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c211W)
Lord Sassoon (Commercial Secretary, HM Treasury; Conservative)
The UK gross contribution to the European Union (EU) Budget, after taking account of the UK abatement, in 2011-12 was £12,184 million. This includes money that scores as UK official development assistance (ODA).
The UK’s financial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO’s) common funded budget in 2011, excluding non-common funded costs such as manpower costs, was £151 million. The UK’s contribution to the NATO civil budget in that year was €25 million.
The UK makes numerous contributions to the many different parts of the United Nations (UN) system and UN-led activities. The UK’s contribution to the UN Regular Budget in 2011 was $155.3 million. For further information on the contributions to the UN, including contributions to the UN Peacekeeping Budgets and to other UN programmes, funds and bodies, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by Mr Henry Bellingham MP, Minister for Africa, on 17 January 2012 (Hansard, Commons; col. 723W].
Total UK ODA in 2011 is provisionally estimated at £8,570 million, including ODA contributions to multilateral organisations including the United Nations and the European Commission
Lord Empey (UUP)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what resources they have allocated to protect the United Kingdom from the effects of cyber attacks on the United Kingdom’s defence capability.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c238W)
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
As we set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, we attach a high priority to the cyberdefence of our systems. Our forces depend on computer networks, both in the UK and on operations around the world, but our adversaries present an advanced and rapidly developing threat to these networks.
This is reflected in the establishment of the Global Operations Security Control Centre to co-ordinate cyberdefence of our systems. In addition to this, the Defence Cyber Security Programme (DCSP) aims to mainstream cybersecurity throughout the Ministry of Defence and ensure the coherent integration of cyberactivities across the spectrum of defence operations. The DCSP is funded as part of the Cabinet Office’s National Cyber Security Programme, and will run from 2011-2015 with an allocation of £90 million of new money.
We are also making significant investments into new cybercapabilities from the core defence budget, including a further £30 million of additional funding.
Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Howell of Guildford on 13 July (HL Deb, col. 1401), what advice they have received on the legal position on the use by the United States of the British Indian Ocean Territory of Diego Garcia in the case of military action by Israel or the United States against Iran.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c239W)
Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative)
I do not wish to speculate on hypothetical scenarios. The UK’s policy on the use of Diego Garcia by the United States (US) is based on the 1966 exchange of notes (updated in 1976 and with subsequent amendments and additions). The notes allow the US to use the base as a forward operating location for aircraft and ships and require the US to seek prior approval for any operations that they wish to undertake from Diego Garcia.
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn (Conservative)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 22 May (WA 49), whether they have authorised any further operations by the company Odyssey Marine Exploration on the wreck of HMS “Victory”; whether those operations have been discussed in advance with the advisory group established by the Government to advise Ministers on the treatment of the wreck; and what sanctions are available to deter companies from acting without the prior approval of Ministers following the advice of the advisory group for the actions proposed.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c258W)
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my right honourable friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Andrew Robathan) in the other place on 17 July 2012, (Hansard, col. 760W).
We are currently considering a request from the Maritime Heritage Foundation for further work on the HMS Victory site. This request has been discussed with the advisory group established to advise both Ministers and the Maritime Heritage Foundation on the treatment of the wreck. The deed of gift, which is available at http://www.mod.uklDefenceInternet/AboutDefence/ CorporatePublications/MaritimePublications/Hms Victory1744AdvisoryGroup.htm, states: “the Company agrees not to disturb, remove from the seabed, sell, charge, lease, give or otherwise dispose of anything hereby transferred”. Any activity undertaken without the approval of the Secretary of State would be a breach of the terms of the deed of gift, for which legal remedies would be available.
Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many military secondary care consultants are without permanent NHS employment.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c341W)
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
Regular Armed Forces Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel who undertake placements within the NHS remain employed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the duration of their placement. Although embedded into host trusts, Regular Armed Forces personnel do not enter into a permanent employment contract with the NHS.
The Defence Medical Group oversees placements for DMS personnel within NHS trusts under a business agreement, in accordance with the health service guidance covering arrangements between the MoD and the NHS.
The latest DMS biannual manning report shows that, as at 1 April 2012, out of 223 DMS secondary healthcare consultants, 196 were placed within the NHS. The remaining 27 consultants were employed in various other military posts, including operational deployments.
Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many former interpreters with United Kingdom forces in Iraq have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom; how many former interpreters with United Kingdom forces in Afghanistan have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom; and in both cases, how many applicants are awaiting decisions.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c342W)
Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)
The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency’s standard reports.
The Home Office publishes immigration statistics annually and quarterly, which are available from the Home Office Research and Statistics website. This includes information on asylum applications by nationality. The latest statistics can be found in the Library of the House as well as on the following website: www. homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q2-2012/.
Lord Rosser (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long it is currently taking for military personnel on patrol and serving on front-line positions in Afghanistan to receive parcels and letters sent from the United Kingdom.
Hansard source (Citation: HL Deb, 24 September 2012, c342W)
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
The air bridge from the UK to Afghanistan regularly handles up to seven and a half tonnes of mail a day which is usually delivered to theatre within four to seven days. The mail is then delivered to deployed personnel through local distribution arrangements normally within two days. However, higher priority has to be placed on supplying essential military equipment and supplies. In addition, mail for troops deployed in forward operating bases is often held safe until they return from their deployments. In these circumstances it can take up to three weeks for personnel to receive their mail.
Lord Judd (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report by Child Soldiers International, Mind the Gap: Education for Minors in the British Armed Forces. [HL2119]
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
The previous Minister for the Armed Forces met with representatives of Child Soldiers International in June of this year and discussed some of the issues that were subsequently highlighted in their report Mind the Gap: Education for Minors in the British Armed Forces. The report expressed concerns over perceived gaps in educational attainment; in future employment prospects; and in Government policies on social mobility.
The Government believe that the services provide challenging and constructive education, training and employment to many young people and that includes the provision of valuable transferable skills. The training offered by the Armed Forces includes apprenticeships in transport and warehousing, business administration and law, construction, health public service and social care. The Government see apprenticeships as the best way to learn in work and all Armed Forces apprenticeships are accredited and linked to national standards.
The Ministry of Defence thus contributes to the development of national skills, in particular by delivering approximately more than 11,000 completed apprenticeships per annum across a broad spectrum of areas. We believe that the future employment prospects for those who leave the Armed Forces are enhanced as service personnel are expected to build on the skills they gain during their initial training in order to progress throughout their service careers and beyond. Schemes are in place to support lifelong learning and this is encouraged both during service, and for those who meet the qualifying criteria, up to 10 years beyond service.
Our policies in this area allow young people to receive valuable training and education that not only meets the needs of the service, but in parallel helps the development of the individual for employment in latter years. It gives them the tools to succeed in a variety of business and skill areas, both within and beyond their service career, and thus supports social mobility.
Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times HM Ambassador to Spain has been called in by the Spanish Foreign Minister in Madrid to answer complaints from the Spanish authorities with regard to our activities in Gibraltar each month in 2010, 2011, and to date in 2012. [HL2236]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
The Spanish Foreign Minister has called in our ambassador to Spain once since the start of 2010 to discuss issues relating to Gibraltar. This was in March 2012. The ambassador has regular discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Gibraltar-related issues in the course of normal diplomatic business.
Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government many times the Spanish Ambassador to the Court of St James been called in to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to answer complaints from the United Kingdom Government over Spanish vessels fishing illegally in the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters each month in the years 2010, 2011, and to date in 2012. [HL2237]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
We have not called in the Spanish ambassador to complain about Spanish vessels fishing illegally in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters during 2010, 2011 or 2012. Before 2012 limited fishing by Spanish vessels took place, in contravention of Gibraltar law, under an informal agreement between the previous Chief Minister of Gibraltar and local Spanish fishermen. The position of the new Government of Gibraltar is that application of the law should be equal for everyone.
When the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) met the Spanish Foreign Minister on 29 May, they agreed their joint support for a local solution to the fishing dispute. This remains our position and we encourage all parties to show restraint and engage in dialogue to find a way forward.
Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enhance Royal Naval resources engaged in monitoring and repressing illegal activities by Spanish fishing and Guardia Civil vessels within the British Gibraltar territorial waters. [HL2238]
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
The Royal Navy in Gibraltar currently has sufficient assets to challenge unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by Spanish state vessels. We continually monitor the situation and routinely adjust our force posture and resources as appropriate.
Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress, effectiveness and achievements of the seven-nation initiative on nuclear non-proliferation, established at the 2005 United Nations World Summit in New York; and what steps they are taking to promote it. [HL2191]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
The seven-nation initiative was formed in response to the lack of a substantive agreement at the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. It helped to broaden the understanding between states of their positions on disarmament and non-proliferation ahead of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, at which consensus was reached. Bridging the divide between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states will be a component of UK engagement in the run-up to the 2015 NPT Review Conference. At this stage, and following the consensus in 2010, the Government do not see a need to revive the seven-nation initiative.
Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made as to the effectiveness of the proliferation security initiative as a counter-proliferation instrument; and what steps they have taken to promote it. [HL2192]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
The proliferation security initiative (PSI) has helped to sensitise the international community to the problems of trafficking weapons of mass destruction (WMD), WMD delivery systems and related materials. Addressing these problems requires the widest possible co-operation between states. PSI provides an effective framework for building consensus and developing best practice on taking practical action. We adhere to and promote the PSI principles which are aimed at improving international efforts to halt these illicit goods in transit. We co-operate with international partners on operational activities and engage with industry on export control measures.
Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress towards entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; and what steps they have taken to encourage its earliest possible commencement. [HL2193]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
Entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) moved a step closer in February this year with the very welcome ratification of the treaty by the Republic of Indonesia. The Government are continuing to take all appropriate opportunities to promote signature and ratification of the CTBT, including by the remaining eight Annex 2 countries. The Government are working with Annex 2 countries including the United States to promote their ratification efforts, recognising that United States ratification is likely to provide an impetus for other Annex 2 countries to follow suit.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend, the Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) will be attending the sixth ministerial meeting on early entry into force of the CTBT in New York city on 27 September, where he will reiterate the Government’s commitment to early entry into force of the CTBT and will highlight the work that the UK has been conducting to support the implementation of the verification regime, including the technical support provided by experts from the Ministry of Defence, the Atomic Weapons Establishment and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the CTBT Organisation.
Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to facilitate negotiations for a fissile material cut-off treaty. [HL2194]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
The UK continues to push for the immediate start of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty in the Conference on Disarmament (CD). We believe the CD represents the best option we have for negotiations, with all the relevant states as members. At the conference in Washington of the five recognised nuclear-weapon states in June, attendees discussed how to achieve a legally binding, verifiable international ban on the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons. We continue to engage actively with these and other relevant states on ways to break the current impasse in the CD in advance of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee in October.
Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to support the development and use of proliferation-resistant technologies in the nuclear fuel cycle. [HL2195]
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative)
The UK participates in the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation (IFNEC), which provides a forum to explore ways of ensuring that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is efficient and meets the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation. Proliferation resistance is one of several factors that will influence policy decisions on nuclear issues, such as a decision on the reuse of plutonium (www.decc.gov. uk/en/content/cros/consultations/pluto_reuse/pluto_reuse.aspx).
Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many drone pilots are currently qualified in the Royal Air Force; and how many are undergoing training. [HL2182]
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
There are currently 31 Royal Air Force personnel qualified to pilot the Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The Royal Air Force will train a further 16 RPA pilots between October 2012 and September 2013.
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Helmand Province; and if he will make a statement.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c656W)
Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
Afghan and international forces operating in Helmand continue to make tangible progress. Following the launch of the third tranche, nine of the 14 districts in Helmand have begun the transition process, including all three districts within Task Force Helmand—the UK’s area of operations.
Violence levels are down in those districts where transition is already under way and is increasingly displaced from the province’s key population centres where the majority of Helmand is live.
This is a clear demonstration of the growing capability and confidence of the Afghans to effectively manage their own security now and in the future once the International Security Assistance Force has completed its mission when parts of Helmand Province are likely to remain contested.
Challenges remain, and there is still work to be done, but unmistakable progress has, and continues, to be made; as security takes root, markets and schools are opening, creating new opportunities for the Afghan people.
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK (a) military and (b) other personnel (i) have been and (ii) are deployed under Common Foreign and Security Policy or Common Security and Defence Policy operations; and if he will make a statement.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c657W)
Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer 18 September 2012
The UK has personnel, both military and civilian currently deployed on a number of missions and operations as part of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy activity. The current numbers for those operations and missions where the UK makes a contribution are as follows:
EUTM Somalia—EU training of Somali national security forces: two military;
Op Althea Bosnia—EU training and executive security force: six military;
EUCAP NESTOR—Regional maritime capacity building in the Horn of Africa: two civilians;
EULEX Kosovo—Executive and mentoring activity in the rule of law: 37 civilians;
EUMM Georgia—EU monitoring mission focused on 12 August and 8 September 2008 ceasefires: 17 civilians;
EUPOL Afghanistan—Training and mentoring of Afghan Ministry of Interior: 12 civilians;
EUPOL COPPS West Bank—Support to the Palestinian Authority on wider rule of law issues: four civilians;
EU JUST LEX Iraq—Strengthening Iraqi rule of law and respect for human rights: six civilians;
EUSEC DRC—Supporting Congolese reform of their armed forces, working towards national security and social and economic development: three civilians.
Details are not centrally held of UK military and other personnel deployed on previous CSDP missions and operations.
The information will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel received training in (a) Farsi or Dari, (b) Arabic, (c) Urdu and (d) Mandarin in each year since 2008.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c658W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
holding answer 5 September 2012
The information available is set out in the following table:
Number of students taught per year (1)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Farsi 20 10 10 20 20
Arabic 100 80 30 30 40
Urdu 10 10 10 10 10
Mandarin10 10 10 10 10
Dari 260 270 250 270 280
(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and include only those who complete their training in the relevant year.
The number of students taught each year covers a wide range of linguistic ability. Higher level training (for professional and expert qualifications) enables trusted translation. Lower level training enables linguists to undertake basic military business in limited scenarios where accuracy is not as critical.
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) what estimate he has made of the (a) up- front and (b) long-term costs associated with the re-basing of the elements of the armed forces based in Germany;
(2) what estimate he has made of long-term savings arising from the re-basing of those elements of the armed forces based in Germany.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c658W)
Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer 11 September 2012
I refer the right hon. Member to the Statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Hammond on 5 July 2012, Hansard, column 66WS, following which Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials continue to work on the optimum basing solution for the Army’s return from Germany and the associated costs and savings.
Detailed work into the financial savings to be made from the move of personnel from Germany to the UK is still ongoing. Once the rebasing is complete the Department currently expects to make savings in the region of £79 million, £95 million and £46 million on allowances, education and medical support respectively.
We would also expect the Army’s return from Germany to contribute significantly to the UK economy, since we estimate wages and other local costs of around £650 million per annum are currently spent in Germany. We expect the further work under way to refine these savings, and to determine the likely costs.
Adam Holloway (Gravesham, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what treatments are used to treat soldiers diagnosed as suffering from mild traumatic brain injury.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c658W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court is the Defence Medical Services (DMS) centre of expertise for the treatment of symptoms associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The DMS policy for the treatment of mTBI is based on the World Health Organisation guidelines, whereby the principle of treatment is to foster natural recovery by reassurance, education, monitoring and by reinforcing an expectation of rapid recovery.
Most personnel recover completely from concussion; symptoms usually begin to improve within hours and typically resolve completely within days to weeks. There is no specific drug treatment for the management of mTBI but simple analgesics (e.g. paracetamol) may be used for headache symptoms.
Following a diagnosis of mTBI, the treatment programme consists of four phases. Personnel are entered sequentially into each stage but only progress to the next phase if their symptoms remain. Upon successful completion of each phase the aim is to return the patient to work.
Phase one is primarily education about the effects of mTBI and coping measures that personnel are advised to use.
Phase two lasts for approximately three months and is conducted with an element of face-to-face therapy at the DMRC but is mainly co-ordinated via web and phone-based therapy. The emphasis is on strategy, training, education and referral to specialist services when appropriate.
Phase three is conducted entirely at the DMRC as an intensive cognitive behavioural/psychological education group. The emphasis here is on education, resilience, adjustment, pacing and relaxation. Intensive training is provided for each of these aspects with the aim of helping the patient to find effective methods to manage their symptoms.
Phase four consists of ongoing follow-up and support, and is conducted primarily via phone and web-based support.
An active military research programme continues at the DMRC to investigate concussion/mTBI, including blast related injury.
Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees of his Department are employed within the Chaplaincy Department for each (a) faith and (b) denomination.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c659W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
All chaplains employed by the Ministry of Defence are there to provide spiritual leadership, pastoral care and moral guidance to all personnel and their families of all faiths and none.
The following tables provide details of the number of chaplains employed by the MOD for each faith and denomination. The figures do not include support staff within the Chaplaincy Department.
Regular armed forces chaplains (Christian)
Denomination Total
Methodist 27
Church of Scotland 31
Roman Catholic 28
Baptist 23
United Reform Church 7
Assemblies of God 1
Presbyterian 1
Salvation Army 1
Free Church of Scotland 1
Church of England 155
Total 275
World faith army reserve chaplains
Faith Total
Jewish chaplain 1
World faith civilian chaplains
Faith Total
Sikh chaplain 1
Muslim chaplain 1
Hindu chaplain 1
Buddhist chaplain 1
Total 4
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c660W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence has sold and leased back one building block in Bath over the past 12 months. The sale price was some £4 million, and there was no additional cost to the public purse of the short-term leaseback which enabled the building to be vacated in good order.
Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston have resulted in the attendance of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service in each year from August 2010; and on what dates each such incident occurred.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c660W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
Since August 2010, there have been three incidents at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston site where the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) have been requested to attend. These occurred on 3 August 2010, 12 April 2012 and 16 August 2012.
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of document number (a) 24, (b) 25, (c) 26, (d) 27, (e) 28 and (f) 29 listed in schedule 9 of his Department’s 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c660W)
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The Ministry of Defence will need to consult BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships to consider release of the documents requested. I will write to the hon. Member when this consultation has been completed.
Substantive answer from Philip Dunne to Angus Robertson:
On 16 May 2012 in response to Parliamentary Question (Official Report, column 166W) my predecessor Peter Luff MP (Mid Worcestershire), undertook to provide a substantive reply to your question to place in the library of the House of Commons a number of documents referenced in Schedule 9 of the Department’s 2009 Terms of Business Agreement with BAE Systems (BAES). You may recall that before I could provide you with a final answer, it was necessary to review the documents to determine whether their release would prejudice the commercial position of either the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or the company. This review involved detailed consultation with BAES.
I can advise you that this work is now complete and it has been determined that release of the documents at this time is likely to prejudice the commercial position of both the company and the MOD. I regret therefore that I am unable to release the documents you have requested and that you have had to wait so long to receive this reply to your original question.
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the work of the Centre for Defence Enterprise; and if he will make a statement.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c661W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
holding answer 18 September 2012
The role of the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) was reviewed as part of the consultation process for the White Paper, National Security through Technology, which was published on 1 February 2012 (Cm 8278). The White Paper committed to building on the CDE’s success in providing efficient access to innovation, to broaden its remit to cover both the defence and security domains, and for CDE to provide more support to small and medium-sized enterprises in understanding how the Ministry of Defence operates, the development of routes to market for potential defence and security products, and to enhance exploitation mechanisms between CDE and defence suppliers.
Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which items in the equipment programme have had their in-service delivery dates delayed since May 2010.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c661W)
Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
In-service dates for new equipment are formally set at the Main Gate investment approval point.
The Astute build programme was delayed in Planning Round 11, in order to manage the industrial work programme implications of the decision to defer a final decision on the replacement of the deterrent The full implications of this measure in terms of programme delays and costs can be found in the National Audit Office’s Major Projects Report 2011. This measure should be considered alongside the decision in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to establish the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme, which is expected to deliver more than £900 million of savings over the decade.
In addition, two further new equipment procurement projects, which had previously passed their Main Gate approvals, have been delayed. Disclosure of further information at this stage would prejudice the Department’s commercial interests.
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the near cash projected spending on the Equipment Plan and Equipment Support Plan is for each year to 2016.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c662W)
Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
As at the end of Planning Round 2012, the planned spend on the Equipment Procurement and Equipment Support Plans is shown in the following table.
£ million
Financial year
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
Equipment procurement 5,788 6,129 6,219 7,278
Equipment support 7,452 7,650 8,105 8,153
All figures are in near cash and to the nearest £ million.
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on HMS Dragon since it was handed over to the Royal Navy for sea trials.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c662W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
HMS Dragon was accepted off contract by the Ministry of Defence from BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships on 31 August 2011. The ship then undertook eight months of sea trials, led by the Defence Equipment and Support organisation before being declared in-service with the Royal Navy on 27 April 2012. The cost for this period, including the cost of supporting and maintaining the ship, conducting the trials and of the associated trials ranges and targets was approximately £6 million (excluding the cost of fuel and manpower).
Support to HMS Dragon is now provided through the Type 45 In-Service Support Contract. Under this service provision contract, which covers the class of vessels, costs are not attributable to individual ships. It is, therefore, not possible to separately identify the full cost of supporting HMS Dragon since it entered service in April 2012.
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) for how much time HMS Dragon has been able to complete sea duties as part of the Royal Navy fleet since it has been fully in service;
(2) for how long HMS Dragon has not been at sea since it entered service with the Royal Navy.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c662W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
HMS Dragon entered service with the Royal Navy on 27 April 2012. Up to 27 August 2012, she had spent 25 days at sea and 98 days alongside in accordance with her programme. She is currently undertaking some defect rectification and is expected to sail again in early October 2012.
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of works to be carried out on the engine and the gearbox of HMS Dragon; and from which budget these costs will be funded.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c663W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
The work to repair HMS Dragon’s WR21 engine is the subject of warranty action by the shipbuilder, BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships. It has been established that the repairs do not involve work on the gearbox.
The work to remove and replace the engine parts is ongoing and as such the final cost is not yet known.
John Spellar (Warley, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on military aid to the civil authorities.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c663W)
Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer 17 September 2012
The Ministry of Defence considers all requests made for military support on a case by case basis, in line with Military Aid to the Civil Authority arrangements. Support may be provided where the civil authorities lack the capability or capacity to act in a timely manner or as a result of the scale of an event.
Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value of maintenance contracts for (a) Globemaster, (b) Hercules, (c) Hawk, (d) Puma, (e) Merlin, (f) Lynx and (g) Chinook aircraft was in each of the last three years.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c663W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
Expenditure against the principal support and maintenance contracts for each type of aircraft in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table:
£ million (1)
Financial years
Aircraft type 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
C17 Globemaster 35 30 23
Hercules 120 115 120
Hawk TMk1/Mk2 57 56 60
Puma 20 21 17
Merlin 117 127 118
Lynx 79 67 63
Chinook 56 57 78
(1 )Approximate.
All costs shown are exclusive of VAT.
These aircraft are supported through a range of different support contracts and consequently the scope of work undertaken varies. All of the above figures include the support and maintenance of both aircraft and engine, but some expenditure is associated with, for example, the support of the associated synthetic training solution or the cost of post-design services and modifications.
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rate of inflation was used in the calculation of the necessary rise in the post-2015 defence budget needed to meet the 10-year equipment budget plan.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c664W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
holding answer 7 September 2012
The rate of inflation used in the Ministry of Defence calculations relating to the defence budget is the gross domestic product deflator forecast produced by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility. At the beginning of Planning Round 12 this was 2.7% for financial years from 2013-14 onwards.
Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
(1) which of his Department’s programmes have been delayed between July 2011 and May 2012; when each programme has been delayed (a) from and (b) until; and what the total projected saving is for each programme;
(2) which of his Department’s programmes have been delayed since May 2010; and what the total projected saving is;
(3) which of his Department’s programmes have been delayed since May 2010; when each programme has been delayed (a) from and (b) until; and what the total projected saving is for each programme.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c664W)
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire, Conservative)
The information requested will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member when the data are available.
Substantive answer from Philip Hammond to Bridget Phillipson:
On 18 June, Peter Luff undertook to write to you regarding delays and deletions of projects within the MOD’s Equipment Programme.
In answering your question, I have focused on major projects (i.e. those spending more than £20 million) which are past their Main Gate investment approval point. This is the stage at which the Performance, Time and Cost envelope is formally set and is consistent with the basis on which project performance information is reported to Parliament through the Major Projects Reports.
On that basis, the projects affected were:
Cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft in Planning Round 11. Expected savings from the deletion of this programme are around £2 billion;
The Astute build programme was delayed in Planning Round 11, in order to manage the industrial work programme implications of the decision to defer a final decision on the replacement of the deterrent. The full implications of this measure in terms of programme delays and costs can be found in the NAO’s Major Projects Report 2011. This measure should be considered alongside the decision in the SDSR to establish the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme, which is expected to deliver more than £900 million of savings over the decade;
Two other projects which were post Main-Gate have been delayed. The details of these decisions are commercially sensitive and their release could prejudice the Department’s negotiations with its industrial partners.
Such decisions were necessary in order to balance the Department’s books and to transform an overheated and unaffordable equipment programme into one that is both balanced and affordable. This, together with the contingency provision of more than £4 billion and around £8 billion of unallocated provision, means that the MOD can afford everything on contract and all political commitments, and can be confident that we will deliver the Future Force 2020 set out in the SDSR.
Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which equipment contracts he has renegotiated since 2010; and what estimate he has made of the overall amount saved.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c665W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts are negotiated and amended as necessary during the course of normal business. In terms of which equipment contracts were renegotiated following the strategic defence and security review, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specific contracts as the details of each negotiation are commercial in confidence, but I can confirm MOD is well on track to achieve its overall savings target.
Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each company with which his Department has a contract; what the monetary value of each such contract is; and what is provided to his Department under the terms of the contract.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c665W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
As of 11 September 2012, there were 15,522 live contracts on the Ministry of Defence contracts database with a total value of £206.4 billion. These are let with 4,341 contractors. The products or services provided under these contracts can be broadly grouped under 13 ‘Type of Work’ categories (shown in the following table). The information requested for each individual contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
This analysis relates to contracts administered through our central system and excludes contracts placed by the MOD’s trading funds and Executive non-departmental public bodies, purchases through the Government Procurement Card and miscellaneous transactions.
The following table also shows a breakdown of the contracts by the type of work, where it is recorded.
Type of work category Number of contracts
Concept 174
Assessment 210
Demonstration 186
Manufacture 1,647
In-Service 4,929
Disposal 43
Project Support 1,047
External Assistance 777
Hire/Lease 107
Multi Activity Contract (MAC) 104
Provision of Services 3,001
Defence Estates 332
Provision of Utilities 71
Where no ‘type of work’ boxes were ticked 2,166
Where more than one ‘type of work’ box was ticked 728
Total number of contracts held 15,522
Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department’s policy is on taking into account when assessing tenders submitted for departmental contracts the (a) apprenticeship schemes, (b) policies on employment of paid interns and (c) policies of payment of at least the living wage of each bidding company.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c666W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy on assessing approaches to apprenticeship schemes in tenders is to follow the guidance “Promoting Skills in Public Procurement”, published by Office of Government Commerce in 2009. The MOD does not have a specific policy which requires procurement staff to assess bidder policy on paying interns or payment of a “living” wage.
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Class fleet replenishment ships to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c666W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
holding answer 18 September 2012
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Classes of ship will have the capability to transfer stores to the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers, when a planned modification to the existing Replenishment at Sea rigs has been completed. This modification is required because of the dimensions of the QEC, which have significantly higher replenishment positions than the current in-service vessels.
The modifications are expected to be completed in time for the planned entry into service of the first of the QEC carriers.
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of level of officer recruitment, training and retention in the Territorial Army; and if he will make a statement.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c667W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
holding answer 18 September 2012
It is assessed that the Army will achieve its recruiting target of 91 for direct entry TA officers in 2012-13.
As part of the Future Reserves 2020, the Army plan to spend £5 million in financial year (FY) 2012-13 on the Territorial Army (TA) recruiting campaign and are now drawing up plans for the marketing campaigns in FY 2013-14.
As a result of TA marketing activity that has already been undertaken, the Army has received a relatively high level of TA officer initial inquiries and it is assessed that this will have a positive impact on future recruitment, the targets for which are due to increase to 155 for 2013-14 and 240 thereafter until 2016.
A major review of the TA officer recruiting and training process was undertaken in 2011 in order to improve the efficiency and output of the TA officer training pipeline. We have also allocated an additional £1.8 billion over 10 years to ensure that reservists will receive the equipment and the training they need to meet their future roles.
The importance of retaining individuals who have been recruited and trained is fully appreciated and prioritised accordingly. The Ministry of Defence is engaging in a consultation process focusing on Defence’s relationship with employers and how the mutual needs of the employer, reservist employee and Defence can best be accommodated. The consultation will consider the potential need for changes to legislation and the terms and conditions under which reservists serve.
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow Central, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the results of his Department’s consultation on Kentigern House to be published; and when he expects a decision to be made on the relocation of UK National Codification Bureau staff.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c667W)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford, Conservative)
holding answer 17 September 2012
The Ministry of Defence is considering the future size and shape of the UK National Codification Bureau and the Engineering and Through Life Support Team. A decision on the future of both organisations is expected to be announced shortly. Recognised trade union consultations are being undertaken.
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for future research funding for unmanned air vehicles.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 8 October 2012, c667W)
Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)
holding answer 18 September 2012
In March 2011, the Ministry of Defence endorsed an unmanned air systems research and development pipeline, a five-year programme with funding in the region of £30 million per year.
