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Written Question
Ammunition: Beaufort Dyke
Tuesday 29th September 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current condition of the munitions that were dumped into Beaufort’s Dyke in the Irish Sea by the Ministry of Defence following the end of the Second World War.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

I refer the noble Lady to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), in the House of Commons on 2 July 2020 to the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrock and Cumnock (Allan Dorans) in response to Question number 65104.

The last known at-sea disposal at Beaufort's Dyke was the emergency dumping of two cases of corroded 40mm ammunition in 1976.

Historical information on the sea disposals at Beaufort's Dyke and other locations is available through The National Archives at:

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121203135425/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/HealthandSafetyPublications/DSEA/DisposalOfMunitionsAtSea.htm

The Ministry of Defence holds no additional information relating to the munitions dumped in Beaufort's Dyke.


Written Question
Ammunition: Beaufort Dyke
Tuesday 29th September 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate that the process of dumping munitions in Beaufort’s Dyke stopped.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

I refer the noble Lady to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), in the House of Commons on 2 July 2020 to the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrock and Cumnock (Allan Dorans) in response to Question number 65104.

The last known at-sea disposal at Beaufort's Dyke was the emergency dumping of two cases of corroded 40mm ammunition in 1976.

Historical information on the sea disposals at Beaufort's Dyke and other locations is available through The National Archives at:

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121203135425/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/HealthandSafetyPublications/DSEA/DisposalOfMunitionsAtSea.htm

The Ministry of Defence holds no additional information relating to the munitions dumped in Beaufort's Dyke.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Employment
Thursday 30th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the size of the regular Armed Forces as set out in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, published in November 2015.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The Armed Forces have active and targeted recruitment campaigns which are proving effective; intake to the UK Regular Armed Forces was 16,340 in the 12 months to 31 March 2020, an increase of 30.9 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. Although recruitment figures have exponentially increased, we are not complacent and recognise that outflow also increased slightly by 5.7 per cent to 15,460 in the same 12 months. To improve retention, we closely monitor the impact of Service life on individuals, particularly in areas where there are shortages, and take steps to address issues arising.

Measures include the 2019 Armed Forces pay rise of 2.9 per cent which also increased starting pay by 6%, one of the biggest awards within the public sector; Flexible Service, introduced in April 2019 affording personnel more control over their working patterns; the new Future Accommodation Model (FAM) which gives personnel greater control over their housing arrangements; the Service for Experienced Re-joiner and Volunteer Engagements (SERVE) launched on 24 June; and Wrap-around childcare pilots that alleviate the associated challenges faced by our personnel.


Written Question
Defence Equipment: Finance
Tuesday 28th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the affordability of The defence equipment plan 2019, published on 27 February.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The Secretary of State is taking steps to manage the financial pressures in the Ministry of Defence's plans. We have reduced the shortfall in the years from 2020-21 by securing £2.2 billion extra spending for Defence in the 2019 Spending Round and we are driving progress in our ambitious Transformation programme. Future spending decisions are for the forthcoming spending review.


Written Question
Submarines: Accidents
Thursday 23rd July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch Report on the investigation of the near miss between the ro-ro ferry Stena Superfast VII and a submerged Royal Navy submarine in the North Channel on 6 November 2018, published on 16 July; and what steps they are taking to ensure similar incidents do not reoccur. [T]

Answered by Baroness Goldie

Ensuring safety at sea is a top priority for the Royal Navy. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch's (MAIB) report is welcomed and the Royal Navy fully accepts their recommendation.

Actions have been taken to prevent re-occurrence and a system of assurance is in place in accordance with the Navy's Safety Management System.? To deliver the MAIB's recommendation, the Fleet Commander has directed an independent review of the actions taken to provide assurance that such actions have been effective. This review will be led by the Defence Maritime Regulator, part of the independent Defence Safety Authority.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Coronavirus
Wednesday 15th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of armed forces personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

I refer the noble Lady to the answer given in the House of Commons to the hon. Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby) to Question 904256.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Coronavirus
Wednesday 15th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of the armed forces in tackling the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

Having plans and resources in place, coupled with effective military aid to civil authorities (MACA) mechanisms was key to delivering Defence's response in aid of Other Government Departments (OGDs).

Due to the public's adherence to lockdown measures, and the ability of OGDs to maintain essential services, it was not necessary to deploy most of those personnel held at higher readiness.

Defence remains committed to supporting the cross government COVID-19 response, along with delivering its critical outputs maintaining National Security.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Job Satisfaction
Monday 13th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the level of job satisfaction among armed forces personnel; and what trends, if any, they have identified.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The 2020 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) demonstrates that 58 per cent of personnel are satisfied with their job, an increase of three per cent since 2018.

Job satisfaction in the Armed Forces is a high priority for Defence. The Department seeks to measure job satisfaction in a robust, consistent and scientific manner, through forums such as the AFCAS. Although nearly 60 per cent are satisfied with their job, only 45 per cent are satisfied with Service life; we recognise that aspects of the latter can be a factor in decisions to leave. Whilst Armed Forces retention is generally stable and is towards the higher end of historic levels, we are taking active steps to bolster it.

The Ministry of Defence is actively working to modernise the employment offer for Service personnel to attract and retain the right mix of people and skills. This includes addressing the financial aspect of the offer, trialling at scale a new Future Accommodation Model (FAM) giving greater choice over housing options, and the introduction of Flexible Service allowing alteration of career commitment for set periods of time.


Written Question
Defence: Industry
Thursday 9th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the defence industry.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

It is inevitable that the Covid-19 pandemic will have some impact on the defence industry and we remain closely engaged with our strategic suppliers during this difficult time to understand this in more detail. We will continue to provide support, where appropriate, to ensure that critical defence operations and programmes, on which our nation relies, continue uninterrupted.


Written Question
Veterans: Coronavirus
Wednesday 8th July 2020

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on veteran's welfare of the temporary closure of the Veterans UK telephone helpline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The full range of veterans' support services, including the Veterans UK helpline and Welfare Service, has continued to be provided throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 situation necessitated the delivery of helpline services in a different manner and call backs and referral to the Veterans Welfare Service were made where urgent or vulnerable veterans were identified. The Veterans helpline telephony service has now resumed operations.

Veterans UK has helped over 13,000 veterans since 23 March. In addition, approximately 470,000 monthly pension and compensation scheme payments continue to be paid into nominated accounts.