Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the disability employment gap was discussed in Cabinet in each of the last three years; which Cabinet Committee has oversight of the policy; and what were the (1) dates, and (2) outcomes, of the last time it was discussed in that Committee.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
There are a number of Cabinet Committees that could take issues related to disability employment. Cabinet Committees are listed on GOV.UK along with their membership and Terms of Reference. This list of Cabinet Committees on GOV.UK is updated regularly.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Department for Work and Pensions Armed Forces Champions there are (1) in total, (2) on Jobcentre sites, and (3) in Jobcentre plus districts; and how many (a) Jobcentre sites, and (b) Jobcentre plus districts, do not have such a Champion.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department for Work and Pensions currently has 46 Armed Forces Champions in place, including at least one in each of the 37 Jobcentre Plus Districts.
Our top priority during the pandemic has been to focus on processing claims and paying people quickly, while supporting all those using Jobcentre Plus services. As a result, the planned additional recruitment to increase the number of Armed Forces Champions was paused. Planning for 2020/21 is underway.
The DWP is proud to continue to provide vital and significant support services for veterans which recognises their particular needs and circumstance. During this pandemic the Department has announced it is recruiting 13,500 more Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches to boost its frontline. Every Work coach is trained on how to provide tailored and personalised support to members of the Armed Forces Community and their families, working in partnership with their district Armed Forces Champion where necessary. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example garrison towns, this will form a significant part of the work done in individual Jobcentres.
Veterans are also supported in a number of other ways, for example, they are given early voluntary entry to the Work and Health Programme, and using Service Medical Board evidence where we can a severely disabled person does not have to undergo additional examinations for Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit purposes. We are also able to signpost veterans to other organisations for further support where appropriate.
Meanwhile, the department is a supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant which helps ensure members of the armed forces community have access to government support in a number of areas, including:
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on increasing the number of Department for Work and Pensions Armed Forces Champions since 4 September 2019.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department for Work and Pensions currently has 46 Armed Forces Champions in place, including at least one in each of the 37 Jobcentre Plus Districts.
Our top priority during the pandemic has been to focus on processing claims and paying people quickly, while supporting all those using Jobcentre Plus services. As a result, the planned additional recruitment to increase the number of Armed Forces Champions was paused. Planning for 2020/21 is underway.
The DWP is proud to continue to provide vital and significant support services for veterans which recognises their particular needs and circumstance. During this pandemic the Department has announced it is recruiting 13,500 more Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches to boost its frontline. Every Work coach is trained on how to provide tailored and personalised support to members of the Armed Forces Community and their families, working in partnership with their district Armed Forces Champion where necessary. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example garrison towns, this will form a significant part of the work done in individual Jobcentres.
Veterans are also supported in a number of other ways, for example, they are given early voluntary entry to the Work and Health Programme, and using Service Medical Board evidence where we can a severely disabled person does not have to undergo additional examinations for Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit purposes. We are also able to signpost veterans to other organisations for further support where appropriate.
Meanwhile, the department is a supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant which helps ensure members of the armed forces community have access to government support in a number of areas, including:
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases relating to sexual assault have faced trial in military courts in each year since 2010; and how many of these cases have resulted in (1) guilty and (2) not guilty verdicts.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence has made it absolutely clear there is no place for unacceptable behaviour in the Armed Forces. We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to victims.
Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, which may include imprisonment and dismissal from service.
Starting from 2016, Defence has published an annual Official Statistic on Sexual Offending in the Service Justice System, currently covering the years 2015 to 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system
Information for 2020 is due to be published in spring 2021. The following table provides a summary of those statistics, covering all sexual offending in the Service Justice System:
Year | No. of Individuals Court Martialled (Sexual Offences) | No. of Defendants Not Guilty | No. of Defendants Guilty |
2019 | 59 | 42 | 17 |
2018 | 55 | 33 | 21 |
2017 | 80 | 57 | 29 |
2016 | 51 | 31 | 22 |
2015 | 51 | 24 | 21 |
Table notes: Sexual offences as defined within sections 1 to 3, 5 to 15A, 16 to 25, 66 and 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (or its historical equivalent) and section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
The total number of individuals Court Martialled for sexual offences will not always equal the sum of the guilty and not guilty in each year as some cases were discontinued. Also, some defendants faced more than one charge and each of these charges will have a guilty/not guilty count in the corresponding column, resulting in more verdicts than defendants in some cases.
Comparable information for the years 2010 to 2014 has not been published as an Official Statistic, but information held by the Service Police covering rape and sexual assault cases and convictions in the Military Court Service between 2010 – 2013 has been published in answer to a Parliamentary Question:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140407/text/140407w0003.htm
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British soldiers (1) have been injured and (2) have died in operations in Mali since the UK's deployment of troops as part of the UN's peacekeeping mission.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Between 1 December 2020 and 12 January 2021 one member of the UK Armed Forces has been injured whilst deployed as part of the Long Range Reconnaissance Group, Mali. This was an accidental injury inside the camp and not involving operational activity.
No UK Service personnel have died during this time.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support, if any, the Royal Air Force provides to British soldiers assigned to operations in Mali.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The UK supports two separate and distinct operations in Mali. We provide support to Operation BARKHANE, the French counter-terrorism operation, and MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping mission to Mali.
UK forces deployed to MINUSMA have access to a range of UN air assets which enable movement and logistics operations. At present, there are no Royal Air Force assets assigned to MINUSMA. A small number of RAF personnel are embedded within the UK's MINUSMA deployment.
Three Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters are deployed to Mali in support of Operation BARKHANE.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents involving civilian deaths in Mali have included the involvement of British soldiers.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
No incidents of civilian deaths have occurred in Mali that have involved British soldiers.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish (1) the names of members of the Veterans Advisory Board, and (2) the minutes of the Board's meetings.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Veterans Advisory Board has been established to bring independent advice, challenge and insight to the Government to help deliver the Strategy for our Veterans and its commitment to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. The membership of the Board is available on GOV.UK and the minutes of the Board, which met for the first time on 16 November, will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, whether the governments of other countries will be providing support when HMS Queen Elizabeth is deployed in the South China Sea.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Planning continues for the 2021 Carrier Strike Group deployment and a statement will be made to Parliament in due course. What we can say for now is that this deployment - which will of course include working alongside and engaging with partners and allies (including NATO) - will be a demonstration of the professionalism and capability of our people, our ships and our aircraft. The deployment will also provide support to the UK's wider diplomatic and trade efforts.
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when a new UK armed forces families' strategy will be published.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
In 2019 Andrew Selous MP was asked to produce an independent report for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to explore what more support could be offered to Service families. That review, Living in Our Shoes, was published in June 2020 and considered how the MOD and wider Government policy reflects the varied make-up and diverse needs of a range of family models:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/living-in-our-shoes-understanding-the-needs-of-uk-armed-forces-families
The Government is now considering the findings of Mr Selous' review alongside other key research informing the development of a new UK Armed Forces Families Strategy, which the MOD anticipates will be published in 2021.