Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department's guidance entitled Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel, updated on 7 March 2023, is next due to be updated.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a caring employer has a comprehensive range of policies and resources in place to support families during the most difficult of times.
With regards to accommodation, Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, makes provision for bereaved families to remain in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for up to two years following the death of a Service person. It is normal to issue a 93 Day Notice to Vacate when two years is reached but retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two-year period on a discretionary case by case basis.
The Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel who die in service is provided by the MOD. A routine review of the pack is underway, with a view to publication in summer 2024. The Purple Pack is supplemented and supported by documentation provided by each of the Services, for example, the Army Families Guide.
The Purple Pack is provided for immediate adult family members. Information is provided for adults to support and manage bereaved children, including signposting to relevant charities and organisations.
The Defence Bereaved Families Group meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. In the past five years it has met ten times. The next meeting will be in September 2024, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The Minister for Defence People and Families does not routinely attend the meeting, but he attended in September 2023 and regularly receives briefings from the Chair and co-Chair.
Visiting Officers (VO) are an integral part of the support provided by Defence to bereaved families. VO are provided by each Service and undertake training relevant to their role. The Royal Navy (RN) has 60 personnel trained as VO, the Army has 1,390 and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has 1,103.
Each Service runs training courses that meet their specific requirements, for personnel designated as a VO. For example, all RN VO are either Specialist Welfare Worker trained, having completed the Defence Specialist Welfare Worker Course (a Level Five Social Care training course specifically for the care of service personnel and their families), or Civil Service Social Workers registered with Social Work England (or equivalent devolved UK registration). In addition, all must attend and pass the RN Family & People Support VO training every three years.
For the Army, formal, in person training is provided for those conducting both Casualty Notification Officer and VO duties. The training competency is extant for four years; if not appointed within that time frame a one-day refresher course can be conducted to enable another four years competency. The Army’s recommended minimum provision of VO is set at ten for Regular major units, three for Regular minor units, and two for Reserve units.
The RAF VO competency is awarded after completion of a workshop and remains current for four years after which volunteers must attend another briefing day to renew it. Units are expected to aim for 2-5% of their trained strength to have the VO competency.
There is no fixed period of time during which a VO will provide support to a bereaved family. This is dependent upon circumstances but normally would not extend beyond an Inquest or Service Inquiry. Appropriate transition plans will be put in place including arrangements for ongoing support to be provided through a point of contact from either the relevant single Service aftercare cell or unit HR staff.
Via DBS’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence also provides support to the bereaved via its national network of welfare managers (WM). A WM is assigned to families who experience a death in service and usually attends the initial visit alongside the VO. Support from VWS then endures for as long as is required and focuses on access to financial, welfare and wellbeing support as required, including issues in relation to the Armed Forces Pension. WMs who support clients in such circumstances are specifically trained and supervised as part of a VWS experts’ group. VWS is part of the Defence Bereaved Families Group.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long visiting officers allocated to a service family who have experienced the bereavement of a member of the armed forces are allocated for.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a caring employer has a comprehensive range of policies and resources in place to support families during the most difficult of times.
With regards to accommodation, Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, makes provision for bereaved families to remain in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for up to two years following the death of a Service person. It is normal to issue a 93 Day Notice to Vacate when two years is reached but retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two-year period on a discretionary case by case basis.
The Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel who die in service is provided by the MOD. A routine review of the pack is underway, with a view to publication in summer 2024. The Purple Pack is supplemented and supported by documentation provided by each of the Services, for example, the Army Families Guide.
The Purple Pack is provided for immediate adult family members. Information is provided for adults to support and manage bereaved children, including signposting to relevant charities and organisations.
The Defence Bereaved Families Group meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. In the past five years it has met ten times. The next meeting will be in September 2024, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The Minister for Defence People and Families does not routinely attend the meeting, but he attended in September 2023 and regularly receives briefings from the Chair and co-Chair.
Visiting Officers (VO) are an integral part of the support provided by Defence to bereaved families. VO are provided by each Service and undertake training relevant to their role. The Royal Navy (RN) has 60 personnel trained as VO, the Army has 1,390 and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has 1,103.
Each Service runs training courses that meet their specific requirements, for personnel designated as a VO. For example, all RN VO are either Specialist Welfare Worker trained, having completed the Defence Specialist Welfare Worker Course (a Level Five Social Care training course specifically for the care of service personnel and their families), or Civil Service Social Workers registered with Social Work England (or equivalent devolved UK registration). In addition, all must attend and pass the RN Family & People Support VO training every three years.
For the Army, formal, in person training is provided for those conducting both Casualty Notification Officer and VO duties. The training competency is extant for four years; if not appointed within that time frame a one-day refresher course can be conducted to enable another four years competency. The Army’s recommended minimum provision of VO is set at ten for Regular major units, three for Regular minor units, and two for Reserve units.
The RAF VO competency is awarded after completion of a workshop and remains current for four years after which volunteers must attend another briefing day to renew it. Units are expected to aim for 2-5% of their trained strength to have the VO competency.
There is no fixed period of time during which a VO will provide support to a bereaved family. This is dependent upon circumstances but normally would not extend beyond an Inquest or Service Inquiry. Appropriate transition plans will be put in place including arrangements for ongoing support to be provided through a point of contact from either the relevant single Service aftercare cell or unit HR staff.
Via DBS’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence also provides support to the bereaved via its national network of welfare managers (WM). A WM is assigned to families who experience a death in service and usually attends the initial visit alongside the VO. Support from VWS then endures for as long as is required and focuses on access to financial, welfare and wellbeing support as required, including issues in relation to the Armed Forces Pension. WMs who support clients in such circumstances are specifically trained and supervised as part of a VWS experts’ group. VWS is part of the Defence Bereaved Families Group.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department produces guidance for bereavement of a family member in the armed forces for children and young people.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a caring employer has a comprehensive range of policies and resources in place to support families during the most difficult of times.
With regards to accommodation, Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, makes provision for bereaved families to remain in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for up to two years following the death of a Service person. It is normal to issue a 93 Day Notice to Vacate when two years is reached but retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two-year period on a discretionary case by case basis.
The Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel who die in service is provided by the MOD. A routine review of the pack is underway, with a view to publication in summer 2024. The Purple Pack is supplemented and supported by documentation provided by each of the Services, for example, the Army Families Guide.
The Purple Pack is provided for immediate adult family members. Information is provided for adults to support and manage bereaved children, including signposting to relevant charities and organisations.
The Defence Bereaved Families Group meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. In the past five years it has met ten times. The next meeting will be in September 2024, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The Minister for Defence People and Families does not routinely attend the meeting, but he attended in September 2023 and regularly receives briefings from the Chair and co-Chair.
Visiting Officers (VO) are an integral part of the support provided by Defence to bereaved families. VO are provided by each Service and undertake training relevant to their role. The Royal Navy (RN) has 60 personnel trained as VO, the Army has 1,390 and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has 1,103.
Each Service runs training courses that meet their specific requirements, for personnel designated as a VO. For example, all RN VO are either Specialist Welfare Worker trained, having completed the Defence Specialist Welfare Worker Course (a Level Five Social Care training course specifically for the care of service personnel and their families), or Civil Service Social Workers registered with Social Work England (or equivalent devolved UK registration). In addition, all must attend and pass the RN Family & People Support VO training every three years.
For the Army, formal, in person training is provided for those conducting both Casualty Notification Officer and VO duties. The training competency is extant for four years; if not appointed within that time frame a one-day refresher course can be conducted to enable another four years competency. The Army’s recommended minimum provision of VO is set at ten for Regular major units, three for Regular minor units, and two for Reserve units.
The RAF VO competency is awarded after completion of a workshop and remains current for four years after which volunteers must attend another briefing day to renew it. Units are expected to aim for 2-5% of their trained strength to have the VO competency.
There is no fixed period of time during which a VO will provide support to a bereaved family. This is dependent upon circumstances but normally would not extend beyond an Inquest or Service Inquiry. Appropriate transition plans will be put in place including arrangements for ongoing support to be provided through a point of contact from either the relevant single Service aftercare cell or unit HR staff.
Via DBS’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence also provides support to the bereaved via its national network of welfare managers (WM). A WM is assigned to families who experience a death in service and usually attends the initial visit alongside the VO. Support from VWS then endures for as long as is required and focuses on access to financial, welfare and wellbeing support as required, including issues in relation to the Armed Forces Pension. WMs who support clients in such circumstances are specifically trained and supervised as part of a VWS experts’ group. VWS is part of the Defence Bereaved Families Group.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which ship his Department plans to fit first with the Dragonfire directed energy weapon.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping multiple Royal Navy ships with a DragonFire LDEW minimum deployable capability from 2027. During the development of the first DragonFire Directed Energy Weapon, the MOD will identify the most appropriate ship for first deployment of this capability to meet operational requirements and increase the capability of the Royal Navy as well as the number of ships we will fit with this capability.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's definition of initial operating capability for the Dragonfire directed energy weapon programme is.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability. This is being procured under the new Integrated Procurement Model, and so we will be equipping multiple Royal Navy ships with DragonFire LDEW as a minimum deployable capability from 2027, and will spirally develop as necessary. As such, there will be no initial operating capability or full operating capability date.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's definition of full operating capability for the Dragonfire directed energy weapon programme is.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability. This is being procured under the new Integrated Procurement Model, and so we will be equipping multiple Royal Navy ships with DragonFire LDEW as a minimum deployable capability from 2027, and will spirally develop as necessary. As such, there will be no initial operating capability or full operating capability date.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ships his Department plans to fit with the Dragonfire directed energy weapon.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping multiple Royal Navy ships with a DragonFire LDEW minimum deployable capability from 2027. During the development of the first DragonFire Directed Energy Weapon, the MOD will identify the most appropriate ship for first deployment of this capability to meet operational requirements and increase the capability of the Royal Navy as well as the number of ships we will fit with this capability.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Israeli Air Force operated planes on non-military operations have (a) landed and (b) taken off from British territory since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
For operational security reasons and as a matter of policy, the MOD does not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military aircraft movements or operations.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Full-Time Trade Trained Strength (FTTTS) of the Army is; and when he expects the Army's FTTTS to be reduced to 72,500.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As at 1 January 2024, the Full-Time Trade Trained Strength (FTTTS) of the British Army was 73,190. The Army is continuing to implement Future Soldier which will see a Regular Army of 73,000 by 2025.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how long the vanguard-class submarines have been on patrol at sea on average in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Royal Navy has successfully maintained Operation RELENTLESS, the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, for an unbroken 55 years. We do not disclose details of the Operation, including the duration of time spent at sea, as such information could be used to undermine the security and capability of the mission and our personnel.