Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many M3 Amphibious Rigs are available at Ayrshire Barracks in Monchengladbach; when those M3 Amphibious Rigs will be transferred to the German Army barracks at Minden; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
In October 2018, a Joint Vision Statement was signed, reaffirming the continuing importance of close defence co-operation with Germany. This committed the UK to a combined river crossing capability with shared facilities in Minden. Elements of 23 Amphibious Engineer squadron, including some M3 rigs, are already located at Minden and will continue to grow until it is fully established in 2020.
We do not routinely comment on specific locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
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 December 2018 to Question 196768 and his letter dated 15 January, what target time is set for the Service Complaints Ombudsman to process a service complaint; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces has two different target times for investigation. The target for maladministration and/or substance investigations is 100 working days (20 weeks) and for admissibility and undue delay investigations it is 17 working days (3.5 weeks). These timeframes begin once the case has been allocated to an investigator. Further details are available on the Ombudsman's website:
www.scoaf.org.uk/how-can-we-help-you/long-will-take/.
It will take time to collate the information requested on the average time that a case submitted to the Service Complaints Ombudsman is unallocated. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.
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 December 2018 to Question 196768 and with reference to his letter of 15 January 2019, what the average time for a case submitted to the Service Complaints Ombudsman to be left unallocated is; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces has two different target times for investigation. The target for maladministration and/or substance investigations is 100 working days (20 weeks) and for admissibility and undue delay investigations it is 17 working days (3.5 weeks). These timeframes begin once the case has been allocated to an investigator. Further details are available on the Ombudsman's website:
www.scoaf.org.uk/how-can-we-help-you/long-will-take/.
It will take time to collate the information requested on the average time that a case submitted to the Service Complaints Ombudsman is unallocated. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) planned length of deployment and (b) end of operation date is of RAF Chinooks to support French and European forces in the Sahel region.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
At the UK-France Sandhurst Summit in 2018 it was agreed that the UK would deploy RAF CH-47s for 18 months in support for Operation BARKHANE. This deployment is due to end in December 2019.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy ship will be escorting the French aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, when it departs for its operational cruise of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
On current plans a Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer will escort the French Aircraft Carrier (Charles de Gaulle) when it departs for its deployment, but the formal nomination of a ship, and indeed the scope of its escort duties, remains subject to wider departmental planning considerations.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what diseases were involved in the 27 disease-related deaths within the armed forces between 2000-2018 during exercises and training events; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Of the 27 disease-related deaths which occurred in the UK Armed Forces whilst on training or exercise from 1 January 2000 to 31 August 2018, 23 deaths were due to conditions of the circulatory system, two deaths were due to conditions of the respiratory system, one death was due to a condition of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, and one death was due to a condition of the digestive system.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) serious injuries and (b) deaths have occurred in training or selection events across all three armed services since 2013; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 August 2018 a total of 29 deaths among UK Armed Forces personnel occurred whilst on training or exercise. The Ministry of Defence publishes Official Statistics on this matter at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/training-and-exercise-deaths-in-the-uk-armed-forces-2018.
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2018, 7,828 UK Armed Forces personnel were involved in 8,732 incidents resulting in serious injuries whilst on training or exercise. This figure includes both specified injuries and serious injuries (as defined by the Health & Safety Executive) and, both very serious injuries and serious injuries (as reported through the Notification of Casualties system).
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 24 January 2019, one Service Inquiry (SI) was convened solely for the purpose of investigating a serious injury occurring during a training exercise or selection event, where there were no fatalities. The circumstances resulting in a serious injury, without fatality, are unlikely to justify an SI. Where necessary, lessons may be learned without the need for an SI. JSP 832 (Guide to Service Inquiries) sets out the policy on when an SI should be convened. The current version of JSP 832 can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/service-inquiry-si.
The Director General of the Defence Safety Authority (DG DSA) is the primary Convening Authority for all safety related SIs. All recommendations are allocated to a recommendation owner and are closed by DG DSA only when he is presented with sufficient evidence that all reasonable measures to implement the changes required have been taken.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what processes exits within his Department has put in place to ensure that the recommendations of service inquires are implemented; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 August 2018 a total of 29 deaths among UK Armed Forces personnel occurred whilst on training or exercise. The Ministry of Defence publishes Official Statistics on this matter at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/training-and-exercise-deaths-in-the-uk-armed-forces-2018.
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2018, 7,828 UK Armed Forces personnel were involved in 8,732 incidents resulting in serious injuries whilst on training or exercise. This figure includes both specified injuries and serious injuries (as defined by the Health & Safety Executive) and, both very serious injuries and serious injuries (as reported through the Notification of Casualties system).
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 24 January 2019, one Service Inquiry (SI) was convened solely for the purpose of investigating a serious injury occurring during a training exercise or selection event, where there were no fatalities. The circumstances resulting in a serious injury, without fatality, are unlikely to justify an SI. Where necessary, lessons may be learned without the need for an SI. JSP 832 (Guide to Service Inquiries) sets out the policy on when an SI should be convened. The current version of JSP 832 can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/service-inquiry-si.
The Director General of the Defence Safety Authority (DG DSA) is the primary Convening Authority for all safety related SIs. All recommendations are allocated to a recommendation owner and are closed by DG DSA only when he is presented with sufficient evidence that all reasonable measures to implement the changes required have been taken.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service inquiries have been conducted when a serious injury has occurred on training exercise or selection event between 2013-2019; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 August 2018 a total of 29 deaths among UK Armed Forces personnel occurred whilst on training or exercise. The Ministry of Defence publishes Official Statistics on this matter at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/training-and-exercise-deaths-in-the-uk-armed-forces-2018.
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2018, 7,828 UK Armed Forces personnel were involved in 8,732 incidents resulting in serious injuries whilst on training or exercise. This figure includes both specified injuries and serious injuries (as defined by the Health & Safety Executive) and, both very serious injuries and serious injuries (as reported through the Notification of Casualties system).
In the period from 1 January 2013 to 24 January 2019, one Service Inquiry (SI) was convened solely for the purpose of investigating a serious injury occurring during a training exercise or selection event, where there were no fatalities. The circumstances resulting in a serious injury, without fatality, are unlikely to justify an SI. Where necessary, lessons may be learned without the need for an SI. JSP 832 (Guide to Service Inquiries) sets out the policy on when an SI should be convened. The current version of JSP 832 can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/service-inquiry-si.
The Director General of the Defence Safety Authority (DG DSA) is the primary Convening Authority for all safety related SIs. All recommendations are allocated to a recommendation owner and are closed by DG DSA only when he is presented with sufficient evidence that all reasonable measures to implement the changes required have been taken.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the cost per flight per hour of a Typhoon; what is included in calculating this cost; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 21 July 2017 to Question 5476.