Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to row AD of the table headed Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits on page 47 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2019-20: Main Supply Estimates, published May 2019, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending allocation under the Cash Release of Provisions Administration Costs.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Ministry of Defence is committed to appropriate transparency of its finances, and we make regular reports to Parliament on our expenditure as well as being subject to regular National Audit Office studies on various aspects of our expenditure. In particular, we produce an account of the Department's actual expenditure every year in the Annual Report and Accounts, and we also publish annually a detailed report on the Equipment Plan, focusing on departmental spending on the procurement and support of military equipment. These reports set out actual expenditure at the end of the relevant financial year. We published the 2018-19 Annual Report before the summer recess and the equipment plan report is due to be published later this year.
The figures concerned are estimates and are subject to variations in expenditure that take place throughout the year as the Department undertakes its business. The definitive record of our expenditure is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts and Equipment Plan. The Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020 will be published in summer 2020 and the Equipment Plan 2019 is due to be published later this year. The latest versions of both publications can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2018
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's recent report entitled the TIN 2.101 Defence Inclusivity Phase 2: The Lived Experience: Final Report and its summary.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Lived Experience report was commissioned to provide management information to inform future policy and decision making. There is a well-defined publication plan which accompanies the report encompassing academic journals, conferences and international presentations.
To publish the report would stop the Ministry of Defence benefiting from the analytical opportunities provided by peer review across different fora that these enable.
I will place a copy of the report in the Library of The House when the publication plan is complete.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of staff at the Defence Business Services office at Tomlinson House, Norcross are (a) part-time, (b) female, (c) over 50 years old and (d) disabled.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The proportion of staff at Tomlinson House, Norcross who are part-time, female, over 50 years old and disabled as of 30 June 2019 is as follows:
Part-Time | 34.6% |
Female | 70.3% |
50 or Over | 48.5% |
Disabled * | 11.0%* |
|
*These figures are a minimum as the declaration of a disability is not mandatory.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when her Department will announce the preferred bidder for the Future Service Delivery Contract.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Bids for this contract have only just been received and have not yet been evaluated. Depending how fully they meet the Department's requirements, we provisionally envisage announcing the preferred bidder in December 2019.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Future Service Delivery Contract will include the (a) War Pension Scheme, (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and (c) Medals Office.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
These functions are being Market Tested as options as part of the Future Service Delivery Contract competition. No decision to outsource them has been taken. They would be outsourced only if that provided best outcome for the Ministry of Defence, the serving and former Service personnel affected and the taxpayer.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the delivery of veteran services of the closure of Tomlinson House, Norcross.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In line with the Better Defence Estate Strategy, the Department is currently considering how best to make the most efficient and cost-effective use of its property in the North West, including the Norcross site. The delivery of veterans' services will not be affected.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of outsourcing veteran services with the Armed Forces Covenant.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
No decisions have been taken on whether to outsource any services as part of the Future Service Delivery Contract (FSDC). Such a decision would be taken only if that provided the best outcome for the Ministry of Defence, the serving and former Service personnel affected and the taxpayer. The outcome of the FSDC will be fully in line with the Military Covenant, as it will modernise and continue to improve the high-quality services our veterans deserve.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many subject access requests have been made to her Department in each of the last four quarters.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The number of subject access requests reported, by financial year (FY), are given below:
FY 2018-19, Quarter 2 - 8,205
FY 2018-19, Quarter 3 - 7,890
FY 2018-19, Quarter 4 - 10,548
FY 2019-20, Quarter 1 - Total number not yet collated and verified. I will write to the hon. Member with this data shortly.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many subject access requests made to her Department in each of the last four quarters were complied with within the 28-day time limit.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The number of subject access requests answered within 28 days of receipt by Financial Year (FY), are given below.
FY 2018-19, Quarter 2 - 5,265
FY 2018-19, Quarter 3 - 5,061
FY 2018-19, Quarter 4 - 6,907
FY 2019-20, Quarter 1 - Total number not held as this reporting period has not closed yet. I will write to the hon. Member with this data shortly.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2019 to Question 220113 on Warships: Procurement, whether he plans to classify the Littoral Strike Ship as a warship.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The classification of the Littoral Strike Ship is yet to be determined. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones) on 12 February 2019 to Question 220113.