Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost has been of re-painting a (a) nuclear submarine in-service, (b) decommissioned nuclear submarine, (c) ballistic missile submarine in-service and (d) decommissioned ballistic missile submarine in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This information is not held in the format requested. The cost of repainting In-Service submarines is dependent on the Class and will vary with the individual platform material state. These costs form part of wider submarine maintenance contracts and are not easily identifiable separately.
In a similar manner, for decommissioned submarines, the cost forms part of the Survey and Docking Periods, which are conducted every 12 to 15 years; these costs also vary dependent on the Class of Submarine and individual material state.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2019 to Question 225436 on Armed Forces: Compensation, what criteria the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy uses when issuing compensation payments of £500 or less to armed forces service complainants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The correct terminology is "consolatory" awards or payments, which are made in accordance with pan-Government Principles for Managing Public Money. The value of compensation/consolatory payments are determined by reference, as appropriate, to external benchmarks such as the Vento Scale (as used by the Employment Tribunal Service), and informed by legal advice.
The Army Service Complaints Secretary, of OF5/Colonel rank, holds delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 and is empowered to delegate such authority to all Decision and Appeal Bodies. The minimum Army rank for appointment to Decision and Appeal Bodies is OF4/Lieutenant Colonel.
The Naval Service Complaints Secretary has a delegated financial authority to make consolatory payments of up to £1,000 with any above that level requiring approval by the Deputy Finance Director. Governance requires that at any compensation level, advice is taken through Navy Command Finance if this payment would be regarded as novel or contentious.
The RAF Service Complaints Team has delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 with any above that level requiring approval by Air Director Resources.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2019 to Question 225436 on Armed Forces: Compensation, what level command authority is required to issue compensation payments of £500 or less to armed forces service complainants in the (a) Army (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The correct terminology is "consolatory" awards or payments, which are made in accordance with pan-Government Principles for Managing Public Money. The value of compensation/consolatory payments are determined by reference, as appropriate, to external benchmarks such as the Vento Scale (as used by the Employment Tribunal Service), and informed by legal advice.
The Army Service Complaints Secretary, of OF5/Colonel rank, holds delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 and is empowered to delegate such authority to all Decision and Appeal Bodies. The minimum Army rank for appointment to Decision and Appeal Bodies is OF4/Lieutenant Colonel.
The Naval Service Complaints Secretary has a delegated financial authority to make consolatory payments of up to £1,000 with any above that level requiring approval by the Deputy Finance Director. Governance requires that at any compensation level, advice is taken through Navy Command Finance if this payment would be regarded as novel or contentious.
The RAF Service Complaints Team has delegated authority to make consolatory payments of up to £500 with any above that level requiring approval by Air Director Resources.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Department's letter of 27 February 2019 to the hon. Member for Bridgend on the Health and Safety Executive, what is meant by the phrase centrally reported.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The phrase centrally reported refers to information recorded at Top Level Budget or equivalent Defence Authority Chief Executive level. Whilst this is considered to be the totality of contraventions it cannot be verified without contacting each site across Defence. To do so could be provided only at disproportionate cost.