Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 21960 on Air Force: Training, for what reason the requirement for pilots to successfully complete Phase 2 Military Flying Training was lower in the training years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

For each training year, the number of trainee RAF pilots who enter the Phase 2 Military Flying Training System is based on the number of pilots required to commence Operational Conversion Units (OCUs) to meet the Front Line demand for qualified pilots in future years.

The RAF Pipeline Management Team, governed through the Aircrew Pipeline Steering Group, actively manage the pilot training pipelines to ensure that trainee flowthrough is kept to an optimum to reduce periods of holdover for trainees between training courses. In 2022-23 and 2023-24 there was a managed reduction in some of the training pipelines to appropriately control the numbers of trainees in holdover ahead of joining OCUs. Additionally, as already documented, Hawk T2 engine issues impacted the number of Fast Jet pilots trained during this period.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department (a) has made an assessment of trends in the number of cyber-security roles off-shored to overseas contractors and (b) holds data on the (i) number of roles affected and (ii) financial value of that market.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The UK cyber security sector is worth £10.5 billion, up 3% since last year, and employs over 58,000 people, having generated an additional 5,300 jobs in the past year. The government's annual cyber security sectoral analysis shows employment in the UK cyber security sector has risen each year since the government began publishing the data in 2018.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral answer of 25 April 2024, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has recused himself from any aspects of his role.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise.

There is an established regime in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. The Foreign Secretary has declared his interests in line with this process. Those interests judged, by the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, to be relevant to his ministerial role have been published in the List of Ministers’ Interests, which is available on GOV.UK.

As set out in the Ministerial Code, it is the personal responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, taking account of advice received from their Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with UK-based companies on trends in the level of cyber security jobs moved abroad.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ministers engage regularly with UK cyber security companies to understand employment trends. This includes engagement through visits and forums such as the Cyber Growth Partnership and the National Cyber Advisory Board. The government's annual cyber security sectoral analysis reviews the growth and health of the sector, showing employment in the UK has risen each year since the government began publishing the data in 2018. Currently, the UK cyber security sector employs over 58,000 people, having generated an additional 5,300 jobs in the past year alone.